US08042945B2

A multifocal intraocular lens simulator includes an optical system enabling an object to be observed therethrough, and a test lens holder which holds a prescribed test intraocular lens. The intraocular lens holder is installed at a position optically conjugate with a position at which an eye of an observer is to be placed. The present invention also teaches a method of simulating a multifocal intraocular lens.
US08042938B2

The present invention provides a temple that has a sufficient elasticity and that can respond to twisting so as not to apply excessive force to a hinge portion or a bracket on the side of a lens portion, when a pair of eyeglasses is worn, and a pair of eyeglasses provided with the temple.In a temple (A) for a pair of eyeglasses including an elastic compression portion between a hinge portion (3) to a lens portion and an ear pad portion (2), the elastic compression portion (1) is provided with a plurality of linear arch portions (11) and the linear arch portions are arranged side by side.
US08042931B2

An image forming apparatus includes a sheet stacking unit that stacks and stores the sheet before printing, a first conveying path that conveys the sheet from this sheet stacking unit, a second conveying path that conveys the sheet from this first conveying path to a space between the recording head and a sheet guide member while reversing the sheet, a third conveying path that conveys the sheet from the first conveying path to a temporary storing unit in a state in which a front-to-rear direction of the sheet is maintained, a fourth conveying path that conveys the sheet from the temporary storing unit to the space in a state in which the front-to-rear direction of the sheet is maintained, a first switching mechanism that switches a conveying direction of the sheet, and a second switching mechanism that guides the sheet.
US08042924B2

Bondage of an ink supply needle and a holder base is appropriately performed by ultrasonic welding. A filter is housed in a filter storing part from the upper side of the holder base, and a needle-side fitting part is fitted into a base-side fitting part from the upper side of the holder base. Then, when the ink supply needle and the holder base are welded by ultrasonic waves, the energy of ultrasonic oscillation is concentrated on a contact portion of a protruded part of a needle-side bondage part and a base-side bondage part, and the contact portion of the protruded part is melted out so as to weld the ink supply needle and the holder base. Thereby, the contact portion of the ink supply needle and the holder base is appropriately bonded by ultrasonic welding as a whole without any gap.
US08042921B2

An ink jet type recording apparatus comprises a connection member which has a passage for leading ink to a recording head from an ink cartridge. In the passage, a valve member having a magnetic body is provided. A rotation member has a permanent magnet and is rotatable between a first position and a second position. When the rotation member is located in the first position, an attraction that can move the valve member in an opening direction of the passage acts between the magnet and magnetic body, and hence, the valve member opens the passage. When the rotation member is located in the second position, the attraction that can move the valve member does not act between the magnet and magnetic body, and hence, the valve member closes the passage.
US08042917B2

A liquid dispenser head includes a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of liquid chambers, and a plurality of vibration members. The nozzle is used to discharge liquid. The liquid chamber communicates with the nozzle. The vibration member has a vibration portion, which is used as a deformable wall face of the liquid chamber. The vibration member includes a metal member and a resin layer directly formed on the metal member, and the resin layer has a coefficient of linear expansion greater than a coefficient of linear expansion of the metal member.
US08042916B2

This invention relates to a micromachined fluid ejector array having a fluid reservoir bounded at one side by an elastic membrane having scalable arrays of orifices arranged between concentric piezoelectric transducers, and at another side by a top cover supported by surrounding walls. By actuating neighboring concentric piezoelectric transducers, the scalable array of orifices arranged between the actuated neighboring concentric piezoelectric transducers deflect to eject fluid droplets. Also disclosed is a micromachined fluid ejector array having a fluid reservoir bounded at one side by an elastic membrane having scalable arrays of orifices arranged between concentric piezoelectric transducers, and at another side by a top cover supported by surrounding walls. A piezoelectric layer is bonded on top of the top cover. By actuating the piezoelectric layer bonded on top of the top cover, the scalable arrays of orifices arranged between the neighboring concentric piezoelectric transducers deflect in phase to eject fluid droplets.
US08042914B2

A jetting error detector includes multiple input circuits configured to receive respective voltage values of multiple piezoelectric elements from a droplet jetting head configured to jet droplets through multiple nozzles by use of the multiple piezoelectric elements, a selection circuit configured to sequentially select one of the multiple input circuits, a judging unit configured to judge, based on the voltage value inputted to the selected input circuit, jetting quality of the nozzle for jetting the droplets by use of the piezoelectric element corresponding to the selected input circuit, and an output circuit configured to output a jetting quality judgment result of the nozzle.
US08042909B2

A liquid container for a liquid ejection apparatus includes: a case having a liquid containing portion in its interior; a supply portion which is formed on a first side wall of the case, and through which a liquid in the liquid containing portion can flow to an exterior; a contact portion, which can contact a part of a slider of the liquid ejection apparatus to move the slider in a direction in which the liquid container is inserted; and an engagement portion, which is configured to engage a lock portion of the slider. The contact portion and the engagement portion are formed on a second side wall of the case, the second side wall intersecting the first side wall.
US08042908B2

A fluid ejector device, including: a fluid nozzle layer defining an orifice therein; and at least one epoxy resin layer established on the nozzle layer, the at least one epoxy resin layer having first and second opposed surfaces with a thickness there between and a fluorine gradient formed therein such that the gradient extends into at least a portion of the thickness of the at least one epoxy resin layer, wherein an amount of a fluorinated species present in the at least one epoxy resin layer at the first opposed surface is greater than an amount of the fluorinated species present in the at least one epoxy resin layer at the second opposed surface that is adjacent the fluid nozzle layer.
US08042906B2

The image forming method is for forming an image on an image formation body by using an ink liquid including a coloring material and an aggregation treatment agent including a component that causes the coloring material to aggregate. The image forming method includes: an aggregation treatment layer formation step of forming, on the image formation body, a semisolid aggregation treatment layer that includes the aggregation treatment agent and has a moisture content ratio not more than 56%; an ink droplet deposition step of ejecting droplets of the ink liquid and depositing the droplets of the ink liquid onto the image formation body where the aggregation treatment layer has been formed; and a solvent removal step of removing a liquid solvent present on the image formation body after the ink droplet deposition step.
US08042903B2

An image forming apparatus including a head part with an ejection port configured to eject ink, a discarded-ink tank configured to collect ejected or absorbed ink in order to restore a function of the ejection port, and a sensing device configured to sense the discarded ink collected in the discarded-ink tank, the sensing device including an absorber configured to absorb the ink and an optical sensor configured to sense the light received from the absorber is disclosed, wherein the apparatus uses ink having a characteristic such that the discarded ink is accumulated in a mountain-like shape in the discarded-ink tank, and the absorber is arranged at the location, at which discarded ink can be absorbed when a mountain top of the discarded ink accumulated in a mountain-like shape reaches a predetermined height so that the discarded ink flows along a slope of the discarded ink accumulated in a mountain-like shape to the absorber.
US08042902B2

A pressure adjustment apparatus for adjusting a pressure of liquid inside a liquid ejection head including nozzles and flow channels includes: a tank; a pump; a buffer chamber; a first switching device; and a second switching device. The tank includes a movable film and a hermetically sealed container of a prescribed volume, the movable film dividing the hermetically sealed container into a gas chamber filled with gas and a liquid chamber filled with the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head. The pump changes a pressure of the gas inside the gas chamber so as to adjust a pressure of the liquid inside the liquid chamber. The buffer chamber is filled with the gas and damps gas-flow pulsations caused by the pump. The first switching device connects and disconnects the buffer chamber and the gas chamber. The second switching device switches between a state where the pump is connected to the gas chamber without through the buffer chamber, and a state where the pump is connected to the buffer chamber.
US08042901B2

A recording apparatus is provided. The recording component includes a plurality of recording portions arranged in a first direction and moves relatively to a recording medium at a speed V in a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The reading component reads an image recorded on the recording medium in a reading cycle T by a plurality of reading sections arranged at a predetermined pitch in the first direction. The control component controls, on the recording medium by the recording component, recordation of a detection mark having a size W in the first direction of twice or more than twice the predetermined pitch and a size L in the second direction in which L≧(n+1)·V·T (where n is an integer of 1 or more) and calculate a barycenter position of the detection mark in the first direction based on a reading result of the detection mark.
US08042896B2

An ink jet printer performs a print process by ejecting ink for each of a plurality of ink colors. When a predetermined first circulation time elapses after starting the ink circulation, an ink agitating operation drive signal generation unit applies an ink agitating operation drive signal to an ink ejecting unit set operable to eject an ink, which has a predetermined nature, for a first ink agitating operation time in a first period, and applies the ink agitating operation drive signal to an ink ejecting unit set operable to eject an ink, which has not the predetermined nature, for a second ink agitating operation time in a second period which is shorter than the first period. It is therefore possible to perform maintenance effectively in advance of starting the print process in accordance with the nature of ink.
US08042890B2

A cabinet comprises a plurality of selected cabinet-defining components wherein components defining said cabinet integrally define at least one respective cooperating part of at least one coupling element, said components all secured respectively together exclusively by said respective cooperating parts and the coupling elements formed by said respective cooperating parts.
US08042889B2

The invention relates to a tracked running gear, in which two running gears are arranged parallel to one another and each running gear has a longitudinal member (1) and a running gear chain (2) which runs around the longitudinal member in the longitudinal direction thereof and forms an upper and a lower strand, and at least one traction drive, composed of a motor, transmission and a drive gearwheel which meshes into the running gear chain and also a deflecting wheel which permits chain tensioning by means of a movement relative to the fixed part of the longitudinal member, characterized in that at least one additional traction drive (3) which acts on the upper strand is provided on the longitudinal member, wherein the running gear length is changed or remains unchanged.
US08042887B2

A brake control apparatus for controlling brakes of a vehicle having wheels, the apparatus including a stopped-state detecting portion which detects, based on a speed of at least one of the wheels detected by at least one wheel-speed sensor, a stopped state of the vehicle; an operation-force limiting portion which limits, based on a detection of the stopped state of the vehicle by the stopped-state detecting portion, an operation force of at least one of the brakes, such that an upper limit of the operation force is an intermediate level of an operation-force range used when the stopped state is not detected; a sensor ignoring portion which ignores, when an electric voltage supplied from a power source to the at least one wheel-speed sensor is not higher than a reference value, the at least one wheel-speed sensor; a limitation canceling portion which cancels, when the sensor ignoring portion ignores the at least one wheel-speed sensor, a limitation of the operation force by the operation-force limiting portion; and a rapid-change restraining portion which restrains a rapid change of the operation force caused by a cancellation of the limitation of the operation force by the limitation canceling portion.
US08042883B2

To provide a brake device for a motor vehicle that can suppress variation in braking force applied to a wheel regardless of variation in friction coefficient between a rotator and a braking means in a fluid pressure brake.A brake device for a motor vehicle is provided with a fluid pressure brake 2 (braking means) that applies brake force according to brake fluid pressure to a brake disk (rotator) 20 fixed to a driving wheel (wheel) 3, and has a first feedback mechanism (pressure-reducing means) 15-1 that applies reaction force inputted from the brake disk 20 to the fluid pressure brake 2 in brake operation in a reducing direction of the brake fluid pressure.
US08042875B2

A center door assembly for a dump bed and a method for removing the door from the dump bed. A frame is mounted in a wall of the dump bed and has a pair of opposite and spaced apart channels. A pair of elastomeric inserts are removably mounted in the channels. A retractable door has a pair of edges slidably received in the inserts and is movable linearly within the channels between a closed position and an open position. A pivot linkage assembly is operatively connected to the door for linearly moving the door between the closed and open positions. The elastomeric inserts are removed from the channels through a bottom opening in the channels providing lateral space between the channels to enable the door to be removed from the frame. The elastomeric inserts are provided with bend areas enabling them to be compressed for removal from the channels.
US08042870B2

A device for fixing a car seat mat or cover to the backrest part, which is composed of a hollow tubular member (4) of ‘open’ circular section, having at least two slots (5) formed at a certain distance from the axis of such tubular member (4). Two enlarged parts (11) with a thread (10) integrated, inserted or threaded therein are received in each of the slots (5) to form a loop that closes upon the tubular member: one of the headrest rods will pass through the loop. A second device (20) for holding the car seat cover or mat fixed to the seating surface of the seat namely attachment thereof to the seating surface of the car seat uses a pair of such devices (20) with respective ropes (C), which are hooked and fastened together.
US08042868B2

A power seat system for a vehicle, includes an operational switch configured to be operated by an occupant for changing positions and attitudes of a vehicle seat whose positions and attitudes are electrically adjusted, a sensor portion positioned in the vicinity of the operational switch and detecting a hand of the occupant approaching the operational switch without contacting the hand of the occupant, and a control portion changing the positions and attitudes of the vehicle seat by actuating an actuator on the basis of an output from the operational switch, the control portion configured to display an operational display indicating adjusting portions and directions of the vehicle seat, which is adjustable by means of the operational switch on the basis of the output from the sensor portion, at an display device provided in a vehicle.
US08042851B2

Chopsticks, used for eating, of the type that have a notch, to enable them to be coupled together, arranged in an oblique position on one of the surfaces close to the upper end of the chopsticks, with a suitable slope for assembling the chopsticks in the manner of pliers, with a depth equivalent to half the thickness of the chopstick and with a width equivalent to the width of the actual chopstick, provision having been made for each of the upper edges of said notch to end in ribs that emerge towards the inside of the notch in order for one chopstick to be snap-fitted together with the other.
US08042849B2

The present invention is directed to a skimmer basket lifting tool that enables a user to engage and remove a skimmer basket for cleaning without having to contact the debris accumulated within the basket. The skimmer basket lifting tool comprises a lifting handle which has both a proximal and a distal end, a base portion, including an attachment point for engaging the distal end of the lifting handle, and a pair of opposed skimmer basket crossbar engagement elements extending downward from the base portion. The opposed crossbar engagement elements are oriented such that rotation of the base portion, following insertion of the base portion into a skimmer basket housing, results in reversible engagement of the opposed crossbar engagement elements with the skimmer basket crossbar. This reliable, reversible engagement enables the skimmer basket to be lifted from the skimmer basket housing.
US08042840B2

A coupling has respective support elements extending respectively from each coupling end toward the other, but not directly connected to each other. Radially oriented ends of these elements define a pocket capturing a cushion therein. A non-metallic bellows operably covers the coupling. An optional thermal shield is disposed between the bellows and the support element.
US08042836B2

A reversibly bound book is provided. A first cover strip is wrapped around the first edge of a first cover board, passes over the first side of the first cover board and along the first side of the second cover board. One end of a second cover strip is wrapped around the second edge of the second cover board, strip passes along the second side of the second cover board and over the second side of the first cover board. The cover boards are only attached to each other via the cover strips and can be rotated and turned inside-out. One book can have two different appearances simply by rotating the cover boards with respect to each other. At least one floating spine is bound to one cover board, serving as a spine in one configuration and a closure in the other.
US08042830B2

A device is provided for snap-fastening an airbag unit in a subassembly of a motor vehicle, especially in a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, snap-in elements that are associated with each other being provided on the airbag unit and on the subassembly of the motor vehicle. In order to be able to snap-secure an airbag unit both to a plate-shaped subassembly and to a subassembly having a lateral wall, at least one snap-in hook is provided on the airbag unit or on the subassembly of the motor vehicle, at least one pivotable plastic snap-in clip being associated therewith on the other subassembly. The snap-in hook engages with said clip in at least one section thereof when in the snap-in position.
US08042828B2

A foldable stroller includes a rolling chassis, a push arm coupled to the rolling chassis to move relative to the chassis, and a folding mechanism.
US08042827B2

A snowboard or ski (1) is made having a flat sole, seen in cross-section, and with a longitudinal bendable zone or zones so that the whole or parts of the right-hand and/or left-hand part of the board are bendable in such manner that the sole, seen in cross-section, is or can be curved upwards in these parts of the board, thus causing the steel edges outermost on the upward curved portions to be higher than the sole in the middle of the board. The board may be equipped with tensioning means to hold these portions permanently flexed upwards.
US08042819B2

A foldable galley cart including a plurality of frame members that are hinged together to form an expandable frame, a flexible material attached to and carried by the frame that forms a generally rectangular-shaped, open-topped bin when the frame is in an expanded configuration, at least one set of wheels rotatably attached to the frame, and a handle attached to the frame. A collapsible galley cart for serving food containers during a flight that is collapsible so that it may be readily stored within a compartment of an aircraft galley unit between uses.
US08042818B2

An electric damper which does not transmit unbalance wheel vibration to a vehicle body is provided. A low-pass cutoff frequency setting unit and a high-pass cutoff frequency setting unit respectively set the cutoff frequencies for band-stop filters to a frequency band corresponding to unbalance wheel vibration based on a signal indicating a vehicle speed from a vehicle speed sensor, and a function as a band-stop filter comprising a low-pass filter computation unit, a high-pass filter computation unit and an adder is computed for a displacement rate of the vertical motion of a wheel calculated by a differentiating unit in a damper control unit. A damper control amount computation unit calculates a control amount of controlling an electric motor for a motor-driven damper based on the calculated filtered displacement rate, and outputs a control signal to a motor driving unit through a driving circuit output unit.
US08042814B2

The seal for sealing off the bearing interior of a bearing has a first sealing lip angled outward from a base of the seal and forming a first sealing contact, and a second sealing lip angled inward from the base and forming a second sealing contact. An annular chamber is formed between the first sealing lip and the second sealing lip. The first sealing lip has at least one ventilation opening which leads into the chamber from the outside. The ventilation opening is positioned at the first sealing contact.
US08042805B2

A machine for processing printed sheets includes a sheet delivery having a first conveying device for leading sheet ends, a second conveying device for trailing sheet ends, and a setting device for adjusting one of the two conveying devices relative to the other in a manner dependent on sheet format. The setting device includes a variable ratio gear unit for superimposing two movements.
US08042802B2

The present invention provides a transporting device that includes: a transport unit that transports a document placed on a document tray; a detector that detects the width of the document placed on the document tray; a controller that controls the transport unit to transport the document when the width of the document detected by the detector is a predetermined definite size, and prohibits the transport unit from transporting the document when the width of the document detected by the detector is a predetermined size that is different from the definite size; and a cancellation unit that cancels the prohibition on the document transportation imposed by the controller.
US08042799B2

This invention provides a simple vacuum level switch to be used inside the feedhead's vacuum plenum to detect when the vacuum level exceeds a predefined threshold. This switch is composed of an opening in the plenum that is covered by a cap which is in turn spring-loaded against the opening. The mechanical properties of the spring are such that the cap is pushed away from the opening by ambient air pressure at the point when the vacuum threshold has been reached during sheet acquisition. A Hall Effect or optical sensor is used to detect this motion and the corresponding signal is sent to the feeder controller. This enables more intelligent control of the feeder while also providing an inexpensive method for tracking sheet acquisition times.
US08042791B2

Self-pumping hydropneumatic shock absorber with internal level control, with an oil-filled working cylinder under the pressure of gas cushions and with a damping piston, which is attached to the end of a hollow piston rod and can slide back and forth in the working cylinder, the hollow space in the piston rod serving as the pump space of a pump rod attached to the working cylinder. Oil is drawn from a reservoir space when the piston rod travels outward and into the working space when the piston rod travels inward, and where a control opening is provided in the pump rod to compensate for pressure differences between the working spaces. At least one throttle acting as a function of pressure is provided in the pump space between the high-pressure gas cushion and the low-pressure gas cushion.
US08042784B2

The present invention includes a frame that is quickly and easily assembled and disassembled. The frame may be used for supporting a portable forced air heater, or other similar equipment. Handles, supports, and optionally a wheel assembly is assembled to two core members using snap lock buttons. In a preferred embodiment, the portable forced air heater includes a maintenance clock for measuring and recording operational parameters of a portable forced air heater, and for notifying a user that maintenance is required.
US08042768B2

Systems and methods for reducing noise in aircraft fuselages and other structures are described herein. A noise reduction system configured in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes an auxetic core, a damping layer, and a constraining layer. In this embodiment, the auxetic core is supported by a structural member, and the damping layer is sandwiched between the auxetic core and the constraining layer. A method for manufacturing a structural assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the invention includes forming a stiffener by positioning a first ply of composite material against a first tool surface, positioning damping material against the first ply, and positioning a second ply of composite material against the damping material to sandwich the damping material between the first and second plies. The method can further include forming a skin by positioning a third ply of composite material against a second tool surface offset from the first tool surface, and attaching the stiffener to the skin by co-curing the first, second and third plies of composite material.
US08042763B2

A rotary wing vehicle includes a body structure having an elongated tubular backbone or core, and a counter-rotating coaxial rotor system having rotors with each rotor having a separate motor to drive the rotors about a common rotor axis of rotation. The rotor system is used to move the rotary wing vehicle in directional flight.
US08042753B2

A mobile crusher includes: a crusher having a fixed jaw and a swing jaw and adjusting an outlet gap between lower ends of the fixed jaw and the swing jaw, the crusher crushing raw materials by swing movement of the swing jaw toward the fixed jaw and discharging the raw materials crushed by the crusher from the outlet gap to produce crushed materials; a work implement disposed on an upper stream or a lower stream of the crusher to produce the crushed materials; and a controller that controls a work implement speed of the work implement depending on the outlet gap.
US08042744B2

A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag including a substrate, an RFID chip, a chip contact part, a folding circuit and a radiation part is provided. The chip contact part is formed on the substrate and electrically coupled to the RFID chip. The folding circuit is formed on the substrate and electrically coupled to the chip contact part. The folding circuit has a winding part, which forms a hollow region, for compensating the antenna electric length. The radiation part is formed on the substrate and electrically coupled to the folding circuit, wherein one terminal of the winding part of the folding circuit is open, and the other terminal is electrically coupled to the radiation part. At least one of the folding circuit and the radiation part is asymmetric to the chip contact part.
US08042740B2

Digital image capture and processing systems and methods for generating and projecting coplanar illumination and imaging planes and/or coextensive area-type illumination and imaging zones, through one or more imaging windows, and into a 3D imaging volume in a retail POS environments, while employing automatic object motion and/or velocity detection, real-time image analysis and other techniques to capture and processing high-quality digital images of objects passing through the 3D imaging volume, and intelligently controlling and/or managing the use of visible and invisible forms of illumination, during object illumination and imaging operations, that might otherwise annoy or disturb human operators and/or customers working and/or shopping in such retail environments.
US08042731B2

The present invention is generally directed to systems and methods for validating RFID tag data prior to encoding the data onto an RFID tag, utilizing at least one computing device separate from an RFID encoder. An embodiment of the present invention describes a method of receiving RFID tag data at a computing device, validating that data in compliance with an RFID format, such as the EPC Global standard, and sending the validated data to an RFID encoder. An alternative embodiment provides a method for receiving RFID tag data at a computing device configured for verifying the data, and if the data is not valid, returning an informative error message to a user indicating the component of the data that was invalid and how the error can be corrected. A further embodiment provides a method for allowing a user to correct the RFID tag data and re-validate the data.
US08042727B2

An apparatus characterized by a feature that in a stage on which a substrate or a jig holding a substrate is mounted, an opening closed when the substrate or the jig is mounted is provided and the substrate or the jig is heated by blowing hot air against the lower portion of the substrate or the jig and by a feature that a solder bump is formed on a pad electrode by heating or reflowing a solder composition which is a mixture containing solder particles, a flux component, and a liquid material which is liquid at normal temperature or changing to liquid when heated, and the composition is heated from the substrate side. With the former feature, oxidization of the solder paste on the substrate where no hot air comes and adhesion of particles to the substrate can be prevented, and with the latter feature, solder particles near the pad electrode are melted earlier and wet and spread over the pad electrode, solder particles above and far from the pad electrode are not melted sufficiently, and an effect of reducing the possibility that solder particles join together can be expected.
US08042723B2

Provided is a method of repair which method is capable of holding a molten brazing material at the bonding portion when a component is bonded with a brazing material to an inclined or to a curved surface. The method of repair repairs by brazing a repair portion in which a crack has developed and which needs repair, wherein a brazing material support (4) holding in the interior thereof a molten brazing material (5) is brought into contact with the repair portion, and under the condition that the brazing material support (4) is in contact with the repair portion, the molten brazing material (5) is solidified. Under the condition that the brazing material (5) in a powder form is brought into contact with the brazing material support (4), the brazing material (5) can be melted by heating to a temperature at or above the melting point of the brazing material (5). Alternatively, under the condition that the brazing material support (4) in the interior of which the brazing material (5) has been beforehand held is brought into contact with the repair portion, the brazing material (5) can be melted by heating to a temperature at or above the melting point of the brazing material (5).
US08042716B2

A device that makes donning of stockings, in particular medical compression stockings, easier has a flexible sheet body that has a low friction inner side and a high friction outer side and is closed by snap fasteners. It can be rolled to a tubular shape having a larger diameter at one end. The sheet body is inserted into a stocking with the end of lower diameter first and is then pulled over the foot and leg, with the device reducing the friction forces that have to be exerted.
US08042705B2

A cap, for safely filling and closing an engine oil tank, in particular of an aircraft engine, has an elongated tubular body for feeding oil into the tank; a removable cover body for closing an end portion of the tubular body; an oil feed valve located close to the end portion of the tubular body and movable between an open position, allowing oil flow into the tank, and a closed position, preventing oil outflow from the tank; a filter upstream from the oil feed valve; a dipstick for measuring the oil level in the tank, and which is housed in the tubular body and carried by the removable cover body; and a monostable valve controlled by the dipstick.
US08042704B2

A container for holding a product including a holding means for removably holding a product measuring device adjacent the upper end of the container. The holding means is connected to the container and the measuring device may be replaced in the holding means to secure the measuring device therein during use of the product.
US08042703B2

A recycling center receivable on a supporting surface is provided. The recycling center includes first and second sidewalls. Each sidewall has a forward edge, a rearward edge, an upper edge and an inner surface such that the inner surfaces of the sidewalls define a recycle receiving chamber. A bag slide slidably is mounted within recycle receiving chamber. The bag slide is movable between a first retracted position wherein the bag slide is received within the recycle receiving chamber and an extended position wherein at least a portion of the bag slide projects from the recycle receiving chamber. A first bag retainer is pivotably mounted to the bag slide for receiving a first portion of upper end of a first bag thereon. The first bag retainer is pivotable between a first position and a second retaining position for supporting the first bag in an open configuration.
US08042699B2

A cabling spool for guiding or storing cable, such as is often employed in network racks or other cabling cabinets or enclosures to organize cable layouts and store excess cable, includes a spool body and an end flange. The spool body has a surface with a radius, sized to prevent a minimum bend radius of a cable from being exceeded. The end flange of the spool keeps cables passing about the spool body from leaving the spool. The end flange may be attached to the spool body in a number of positions, e.g., in an upward position, when a majority of cables pass over a top of the spool body; in a downward position, when a majority of cables pass over a bottom of the spool body. The end flange may optionally be rotated relative to the spool body.
US08042698B2

A flat display including a display main body to receive a display panel to display an image and a receiving member which is formed with receiving holes disposed at opposite lateral sides of the display main body.
US08042697B2

A support for a semiconductor wafer includes a plate having a support surface for supporting the wafer and a recessed surface spaced from the support surface and spaced from the wafer. A plurality of holes extends from the recessed surface, and the support surface is free of holes to inhibit contamination of the wafer.
US08042695B2

An external pressure type hollow fiber membrane module, comprising a hollow fiber membrane bundle formed of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, a housing, and an inlet/outlet nozzle for fluid, wherein hollow fiber membranes are fixedly adhered to each other and the hollow fiber membranes are fixedly adhered to the inner wall of the housing at both ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle. The hollow part at one or both side adhesively-fixed ends is opened, and the inlet/outlet nozzle for fluid is installed at the side face of the housing at least at one adhesively-fixed end in which the hollow part is opened. Where the membrane occupied rates of the nozzle in a neighboring area (A) and a non-neighboring area (B) among membrane chargeable areas on the inside of the adhesively-fixed part at at least one adhesively-fixed end positioned near the nozzle and where the hollow part is opened are PA and PB, the ratio of the membrane occupied rates PB/PA is 0.50 to 0.95.
US08042692B2

A device for conveying flat articles, in which device the flat articles are moved in series while being at a pitch one from the next that is normally constant, includes a synchronization device for compensating for a certain amount of variation in said pitch. This device includes: means for categorizing the articles on the basis of certain physical characteristics of the articles; means for identifying a certain amount of variation in the pitch for the current article and for recording said pitch variation in a memory in correspondence with the class of the current article; and means for servocontrolling the synchronization system on the basis of said pitch variations recorded in the memory in correspondence with said classes of articles.
US08042689B2

Extravascular system packaging systems are adapted to facilitate opening of the package and to facilitate one or more auxiliary uses of the packaging systems. Auxiliary uses include the use of at least a portion of the packaging system as a pre-insertion table and as a temporary disposal receptacle. In its use as a pre-insertion table, the packaging system is adapted to provide a stable temporary storage tool where the extravascular system is readily accessible to the medical practitioner. In its use as a temporary disposal receptacle, the packaging system is adapted to provide a stabilized receptacle adapted to temporarily receive a deployed needle assembly until the needle assembly can be properly disposed of in a sharps container.
US08042682B2

A drive sprocket retention system is provided for use in a belt conveyor in which a plurality of drive sprockets are mounted on a rotatable element having an axial keyway formation. The retention system is defined by a key arrangement disposed in the keyway formation of the rotatable element, wherein a recessed portion of a key is received and retained between each drive sprocket and the rotatable element without the need for threaded fasteners. The retention system is movable between a locked position and a release position, wherein the spacing between the drive sprockets is substantially fixed when the retention system is in the locked position, and the drive sprockets are independently movable along the longitudinal length of the rotatable element when the retention system is in the release position.
US08042665B2

A torque converter including an impeller clutch with a first portion connected to a cover for the torque converter and a second portion connected to an impeller; and a lever element in contact with the clutch and displaceable to multiply a first force applied to the lever element for operation of the clutch. In some aspects, the converter includes an impeller piston plate engaged with the lever element and displaceable to apply the force to the lever element. In some aspects, the torque converter includes a torus and a charge chamber for the impeller clutch, a second force is associated with a hydraulic pressure to prevent cavitation in the torus, a third force is required to operate the impeller clutch to transmit a desired torque across the impeller clutch, and the multiplied force is at least equal to a sum of the second force and a third forces.
US08042664B2

A cable retractor for paying out and retracting an electrical cable providing electrical power to an electrical load on a movable window element comprising a first assembly having a rotatable cable spool for receiving the electrical cable for winding on the cable spool, the first assembly including a first housing having an opening therein for paying out a first end of the electrical cable wound on the spool and at least one electrical terminal for connecting a second end of the electrical cable on the spool to one of an electrical power source or the electrical load; a second assembly having at least one electrical connection connected to the first end of the electrical cable and further being connected to the other one of the electrical load or the electrical power source; thereby to provide power to the electrical load from the electrical cable; one of the first and second assemblies being mounted for movement with the movable window element and the other of the first and second assemblies being fixed; and a guide channel disposed between the first and second assemblies for guiding the electrical cable as the electrical cable is retracted into the first housing on the cable spool as the movable window element moves such that the first and second assemblies move relatively toward each other; whereby the electrical load is provided with electrical power from the electrical power source at all positions of the movable window element.
US08042663B1

A cable handling system mounted to a mobile robot to dispense and retrieve cable at zero tension includes a cable reel drive and a downstream tension roller drive that includes an idler. As a cable passes through the tension roller drive, position along the length of the cable and/or the cable speed is monitored accurately by a sensor attached to the idler. A system controller in communication with the sensor controls the cable reel drive and the tension roller drive for dispensing and retrieving cable downstream of the tension roller drive.
US08042661B2

A shock absorber (100) for suppressing vibration in a vehicle includes a valve disk (1) that delimits the interior of a cylinder (40) in which a working fluid is sealed; a first passage (2a), a second passage (2b) and a third passage (2c), which are disposed in series so as to connect pressure chambers (41, 42) delimited by the valve disk (1); a valve body (10) that selectively opens the first passage (2a) and the second passage (2b); a biasing member (15) that biases the valve body (10) in a direction for closing the first passage (2a) against the pressure in one of the pressure chambers (42); and a bypass passage (10a) that connects the first passage (2a) to the third passage (2c) when the valve body (10), having displaced in accordance with the pressure in the one pressure chamber (42) so as to open the first passage (2a), displaces further so as to close the second passage (2b). The bypass passage (10a) is set to have a smaller flow passage area than a flow passage area when the first passage (2a) and the second passage (2b) are both open.
US08042655B1

A roll stop system for a lift includes a roll stop member that is movable between a raised position and a lowered position, a driving mechanism for moving the roll stop member between the raised position and the lowered position, and a spring member acting as a buffer between the driving mechanism and the roll stop member, and preferably the spring member protects the driving mechanism from damage due to abnormal operations of the roll stop member.
US08042652B2

The tree stand has a lower rectangular platform with an extended opening from the center to an outer edge of the platform for installation around a tree trunk. An upper platform provides a secure seating area. A plurality of support members are pivotally attached to the lower surface of the lower rectangular platform and have teeth on their lower end adapted for securing into the bark of a tree. The tree stand is further secured to the tree by a plurality of angle irons that are mounted at the center of the upper and lower platforms. Adjustable tension straps attach to the angle iron and tighten the platforms to the tree preventing vertical movement of the tree stand. The support members on the lower platform have a hook on the lower end opposite the teeth, and an adjustable tension strap that engages the hooks further tightens the support members against the tree.
US08042647B1

A Speaker Side Air Supply Cabinet that has three things that are working together the Speaker Side Air Supply ducts, the Front Air Chamber, and the Bass Horn. The Front Air Chamber takes in air then compress it so that we get a very high sound pressure {sound wave} output, and the Speaker Side Air Supply ducts supply all the air the Front Air Chamber needs. At the same time the Speaker Side Air Supply ducts also supplying air to the Bass Horn working together to eliminate the pull back on the out going sound wave so there is no reduction of the very high sound wave volume output.
US08042643B2

A saddle-ride type vehicle with a swing arm swingably supported on a body frame. A shock absorber is connected to the body frame and the swing arm for applying a damping force. A shock absorber support member is suspended to the body frame in a vehicle width direction for supporting an upper end of the shock absorber. The shock absorber is supported on a central portion in the vehicle width direction of the shock absorber support member. The central portion in the vehicle width direction of the shock absorber support member is formed in a U-shape that is open at a lower side in a cross section taken along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. An upper surface and a lower surface of the shock absorber support member are curved wherein a central portion lies above the end portion in the vehicle width direction.
US08042634B2

The rotating shaft of the motor is connected to and disconnected from the first coupled rotating shaft, the crankshaft of the engine, and the drive shaft is connected to and disconnected from the second coupled rotating shaft and the third coupled rotating shaft. Thereby, the connection state when a power is output to the drive shaft can be increased and the power to the drive shaft can be output in a more efficient connection state in comparison with only connecting and disconnecting the rotating shaft of the motor to and from the first coupled rotating shaft and the crankshaft of the engine.
US08042629B2

A snow traction unit to replace a wheel of an all wheel drive vehicle which includes a frame supporting two carrier wheels; said carrier wheels being spaced apart a distance greater than their combined radii; an endless snow contacting track mounted for rotation on said carrier wheels; a track contacting surface provided between the lower extremities of said carrier wheels; a drive engagement means for engaging the drive shaft of the vehicle and for driving at least one of said carrier wheels; the arrangement of the width of the track, the spacing between the carrier wheels and the track contacting surface resulting in the vehicle having a force imprint less than 250 Kg/square meter.
US08042621B2

An impact mechanism (12) for an impact wrench comprises an anvil (8) with a middle portion (13), at least one abutment surface (14) radially protruding therefrom, which forms at least one abutment surface (15), a hammer (4) with an impact surface (16) suitable to give rotational pulses to the anvil (8) by the impact surface (16) hitting the abutment surface (15). The anvil (8) comprises a first connection area (17) connecting the abutment portion (14) to the middle portion (13) within the axial extension of the abutment surface (15) and the middle portion (13) and a reinforcement rib (18) axially arranged out of the abutment surfaces (15) that connects the abutment portion (14) to the middle portion (13) of the anvil (8), thereby forming a second connecting area.
US08042613B2

A drilling head, method of drilling, and use of the drilling head, for reboring a stuck valve or drilling into the formation downhole and, in particular a drilling tool having a drilling head and a driving unit. The drilling head includes a hole saw beside a drill bit for cutting out a piece from the stuck valve. A drilling system includes the drilling tool and a driving tool for moving the drilling tool downhole.
US08042611B2

A field joint for connecting a plurality of downhole tool modules is disclosed. The modules include a housing and an electrical line. A bulkhead is coupled to a first module that includes a first conduit aperture for receiving an electrical connector assembly. The first electrical connector assembly is releasably coupled to the exterior portion of the first module and includes a first connector having a first end adapted for electrical coupling to an electrical line. A connector block is coupled to the second module that includes a second conduit aperture positioned to substantially face the first conduit aperture when the first and second modules are joined. A second electrical connector is disposed in the second conduit aperture and is electrically coupled to an electrical line such that an electrical contact is established with a second end of the first connector when the first and second modules are joined.
US08042605B2

A heat conduction device is fixed into a radiator (2) and abutted a heat-generating component (42). This radiator (2) has a through-hole (10). The heat conduction device includes a column body (1). One end of the column body (1) is recessed to form a hollow part in order to increase the radiating surface; the other end of the column body (1) is a contact surface (12). The outer surface of the column body (1) is fixed inside the through-hole (10) of the radiator (2), the contact surface (12) is abutted the heat generating component (42); Due to the formation of the hollow part, the radiating surface is increased, the radiating effect is enhanced, and the cost can be decreased greatly due to the simple configuration of the column body (1).
US08042594B2

A method and system for a fiber compaction device with interdependent segment travel is described. A compaction device structure supports a series of individual interdependent segments including a compaction surface. Each segment also includes an opening in which a presser member can be located. The presser members consist of either an elastomeric bladder filled with an incompressible fluid or individual pistons that are manifolded together with a fixed volume of incompressible fluid. The presser members create an interdependence in segment positions such that if one or more segments are displaced the others move to balance the segment positions. Having a fixed volume of incompressible fluid allows the segments to work interdependently, thus guaranteeing that the average section position will be the nominal position and eliminating the need for a fixed center section. The segments can conform to complexly shaped part surfaces and apply a uniform pressure against the entire surface to better compact material being drawn through the fiber compaction device.
US08042584B2

A pneumatic tire is provided in the tread portion (2) with a circumferential groove (3, 3b, 3c) extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction and having a pair of oppositely opposed groove walls (6). The circumferential groove (3, 3b, 3c) is provided in at least one of the groove walls (6) with radial grooves (9) arranged along the longitudinal direction of the circumferential groove (3). The radially outer end (9o) of the radial groove (9) is positioned in a range (a1) of from 0 to 20% of the depth (GDt) of the circumferential groove. The radially inner end (9i) of the radial groove (9) is positioned in a range (a2) of from 80 to 100% of the depth (GDt) of the circumferential groove. The radial groove has an opening width (g) of not less than 1.0 mm, but not more than 6.0 mm.
US08042582B2

A pneumatic tire is equipped with at least a tread part, a sidewall part, a bead part, and a carcass extending from tread part through sidewall part to bead part, and provided with a breaker part on the outside of carcass in the radial direction of the tire. The volume resistivity of each of a tread rubber, a sidewall rubber, a breaker rubber, and a carcass rubber formed in the tread part, the sidewall part, the breaker part, and the carcass respectively is set to 1×1012 Ω·cm or more. A conductive layer having volume resistivity of 1×1011 Ω·cm or less is provided between a carcass ply constituting the carcass and the sidewall rubber and has an exposed part to the tire surface. A rubber cement layer contacting with at least a part of the exposed part of the conductive layer and at least a part of the region that becomes a grounding surface in the tread part to the road surface is provided.
US08042578B2

A manufacturing system for making paints from prepaints, along with a method related thereto.
US08042565B2

A double check valve is provided that includes an in-line inlet check valve and an outlet check valve that cooperate to prevent back flow of fluid through the valve. The check valve also includes at least one vent that allows for fluid trapped within the check valve to drain, thereby preventing freezing of the check valve and hydrant to which it is interconnected. The check valve provided omits many superfluous components and thus is smaller and easier to install than check valves of the prior art.
US08042562B1

Portable shelters, shelter systems, and methods of deployment of such shelters are described. The shelters or housing units may be deployed in emergency housing situations and may be grouped into systems of shelters. One particular embodiment comprises a rigid top frame structure, a rigid bottom frame structure, and one or more collapsible support arms connecting the top frame structure to the bottom frame structure. The frame structures and the collapsible support arm(s) are sized and configured to form a shelter frame when the collapsible support arm(s) are in a fully extended position, and the top frame structure is brought into proximity with the bottom frame structure when the collapsible support arm(s) are in a collapsed position. Methods of rapid deployment of the shelters and systems of shelters are also described.
US08042555B2

An applicator for applying a cosmetic to keratinous material is provided. The applicator is a single-piece molded unit formed of a single material and includes a slim, tapered head portion, having an arcuate configuration. The head portion comprises a support and at least two rows of projecting tines integrally molded therewith. The tines extend transversely away from one side of the support relative to the longitudinal axis of the head, the opposite side of the support being smooth and free from tines. The arcuate and tapered shape of the support facilitates the application of cosmetic product to the eyelash fringe including the shortest eyelashes located in the corners of the eye.
US08042542B2

A respiratory mask assembly for delivering breathable gas to a patient includes a frame and a headgear assembly which are adapted to being removeably magnetically coupled to one another at a desired angular orientation therebetween.
US08042539B2

A nasal ventilation interface and method for providing nasal ventilation to a patient includes a hybrid face mask, covering only the mouth, coupled with removable nasal inserts extending from the upper surface of the mask. The nasal interface has modular, removable, and disposable nasal pillows connecting the upper surface of the mouth-portion of the mask to the user's nares. Each part of the hybrid mask is modular and can be formed in various shapes and sizes. The ventilation interface has differing gas line entry ports and can be shallow with a relatively deep soft facial interface or deep with a relatively shallow facial interface. In either case, the upper surface receives the nasal interface. The upper surface can have a removable ceiling in which is defined a nasal interface connector. The nasal interface can be integral with a removable ceiling. The entire hybrid mask can be made in one piece.
US08042537B2

A method of employing a pressure generating system that provides a pressure therapy to the pulmonary system of a patient and to enable the patient to interact with the pressure support system, for example, to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment provided by the pressure support system. The interactive system includes an output device that provides first information to the patient, an input device that allows the patient to provide second information that is based on the first information and a control unit that controls the operation of the output device to present the first information and collection of the second information via the input device. In a further embodiment, the operation of the pressure generating system is controlled based on the second information provided by the patient.
US08042531B2

A portable batting device that includes a housing, a pneumatically operated ball launching assembly partially disposed within the housing, and a funnel-shaped ball capturing assembly positioned on the top side of the housing. The launching assembly launching a first ball upward into a hitting zone so that a batter may attempt to hit the first ball with a bat. The hitting zone is at a predetermined and adjustable vertical height. The ball capturing assembly receives the first ball should the batter swing the bat and not hit the ball and funnels the first ball into position for a subsequent launch by the launching assembly. The batting device may have a ball feeding assembly operatively associated with the ball capturing assembly.
US08042528B2

A system and method for controlling an internal combustion engine having an EGR valve determine a base valve position to deliver a target flow using a stored map and adjust the base position in response to differential pressure across an orifice in the EGR flow to move the valve to a position different from the base position to provide the target flow.
US08042526B2

A torsion damping mechanism for a rotary blower is provided that includes an input hub adapted to engage a first end of a torsion spring and an output hub adapted to engage a second end of the torsion spring. An intermediate hub is fixed for rotation with a first drive member. A bearing member includes an inner portion connected for rotation with the intermediate hub and an outer portion connected for rotation with the output hub. The bearing member may be a one-way bearing that permits torque to flow from the output hub into the intermediate hub and the first drive member when the output hub is driven in a first rotational direction, and permits the output hub to rotate relative to the intermediate hub with no substantial torque transfer therebetween when the output hub is driven in a second rotational direction.
US08042525B2

An evaporated fuel treating apparatus that realizes enhanced exertion of the treating capability of a canister for evaporated fuel and thus efficient treatment of evaporated fuel. Vapor piping for feeding an evaporated fuel from fuel tank to canister is provided with first close valve. The first close valve is capable of regulating the flow rate of transit evaporated fuel through regulation of the opening degree thereof. Accordingly, the evaporated fuel treating capability of the canister can be exerted higher than in the system in which the flow rate of evaporated fuel is not regulated.
US08042514B2

A throttle body includes first and second intake conduits, first and second valves, and first and second gears. The first and second intake conduits are configured for respective placement in fluid communication with first and second cylinder housings of an engine. The first valve is associated with the first intake conduit and is movable to selectively adjust restriction of the first intake conduit to passage of fluid. The second valve is associated with the second intake conduit and is movable to selectively adjust restriction of the second intake conduit to passage of fluid. The first gear is attached to the first valve and the second gear attached to the second valve. The second gear is engaged with the first gear such that the first and second gears correspondingly rotate. Engines and saddle-type vehicles are also provided.
US08042501B2

A continuously variable valve lift apparatus may include a control shaft, a camshaft in which a cam is formed thereto, an eccentric member connected to the control shaft, a follower slidably contacting the cam, a follower arm that is extended from a follower ring mounted around the eccentric member, a variable ring slidably mounted on the eccentric member and a variable arm extended from the variable ring, an output ring slidably mounted on the control shaft and an output arm extended from the output ring, wherein an output cam is integrally formed to the output arm and an end portion of the output cam is pivotally coupled to one end portion of the output arm, a first link pivotally connecting the follower arm and the variable arm, and a second link pivotally connecting the variable arm and the output arm.
US08042491B2

The Weedless Fish Structure is a simple, waterproof, hardened acrylic structure that is submerged in water to provide camouflage and shade cover for game and feeder fish in areas where the body of water does not provide adequate cover. The weights within the main tube allow the apparatus to rest on the bottom with little buoyancy. A small air tube edges around the semi-circular bifurcated shade fin and provides buoyancy to the top fin so it remains upright. Two stakes are provided to secure the apparatus to the bottom when desired to prevent currents from moving the device. If the structure is turned over to where the long tube is above the shade fin, the weights will slide down into the shade fin tube and the air will rise into the long main tube, and then by attaching two floats, the structure becomes a surface apparatus. A photo image of underwater vegetation, sandwiched between the acrylic sides of the shade fin provides additional concealment for fish and a more natural appearance to attract fish to hide on either side of the shade fin in sunny or shaded conditions.
US08042486B2

A system or device for spin coating an implantable medical device, such as a stent, is disclosed. The device includes a coating table to support the stent, the stent being positioned on top of the coating table and supported on the table by a support fixture. The coating table has an axis of rotation. The axis of rotation of the table can intersect a center of the mass of the stent. A driving means can be provided for rotating the stent about the longitudinal axis of the stent and for rotating the coating table about the axis of rotation.
US08042483B2

The invention as disclosed is an apparatus that controls the wake of stator blades on an underwater vehicle. The apparatus comprises one or more stator blades each with a movable trailing edge that when actuated in a controlled manner produces a periodic flapping motion upstream of a propulsion rotor. The controlled periodic flapping of the trailing edge the fills the stator blade wake enough to overcome the stator blade's own drag and fill its wake deficit. This has the effect of reducing the blade rate tonal noise of the propulsion rotor.
US08042472B2

The invention relates to cartridged ammunition, particularly blank ammunition, having a cartridge shell (3) and a projectile (2) placed therein. A propellant chamber (4) accommodating a pyrotechnic of a propellant charge (5) is disposed in the cartridge shell, such charge being ignitable by an ignition device (13) also containing pyrotechnic material that generates propellant gases that act on the base (8) of the projectile and propel the shot out of the cartridge shell. In order to prevent the pyrotechnic charges of the propellant charge and/or the ignition device from self-igniting at high ambient temperatures, particularly in a fire, thus tearing apart the cartridge shell and projectile and being flung away, an inert, meltable material is mixed into the pyrotechnic charges of the propellant charge and/or the ignition device. This material has a melting temperature that is lower than the self-ignition temperature of the pyrotechnic charge with the lowest ignition temperature and, upon melting, phlegmatises the pyrotechnic charges of the propellant charge and/or the ignition device.
US08042466B2

A printing press and a method for controlling a printing press include rotatably mounted cylinders. At least two adjacent cylinders roll on one another through bearer rings. At least one of the adjacent cylinders can be rotated actively relative to at least one of the bearer rings by a setting device.
US08042465B2

A method and a device for converting a mode of operation from straight printing to perfecting in a sheet-processing machine, includes a cam/follower control for operating a gripper system, in which cam followers are maintained in a position in which they are disengaged from control cams before a conversion of the mode of operation is performed. The method and the device convert a gripper system of a reversing drum between a straight or one-sided printing mode and a perfecting or recto-verso printing mode, by controlling pivoting and opening movements of grippers of the gripper system with a control cam. Initially, a cam follower is locked in a position in which it is disengaged from the control cam. Subsequently, a further cam follower is locked in a position in which it is disengaged from a further control cam. Then the gripper system is converted.
US08042464B2

A rotary press including a plurality of printing groups each with a plate cylinder and a blanket cylinder arranged in the machine frame such that respectively two blanket cylinders are configured to be leaned against each other and, in this way, a paper web that is guidable between the blanket cylinders is printable on both sides. Furthermore, the press includes inking units for inking the printing groups and damping units for applying a damping medium. The inking units are configured such that, with at least some of the inking units, two plate cylinders and thus two blanket cylinders at a time are able to be inked up. In this way, a compact, space-saving and economical design of the press is achieved.
US08042463B2

The invention discloses a varnish coating device that utilizes an ordinary conventional digital stencil printing apparatus, such that anyone can easily apply a uniform film of a viscous coating onto a predetermined area of, for instance, covers and surfaces of printed products. The invention functions as a varnish coating device, in place of a drum unit, when a varnish coating unit is mounted on a mounting section of a printing apparatus main body. The varnish coating unit has: a coating roller that coats the surface of printed paper with a transparent varnish liquid and feeds out the paper; a supply device having a doctor roller that forms a liquid pool on the coating roller and that supplies varnish liquid to form a coating in a predetermined thickness over a predetermined area of the surface of the coating roller; a cradle that detachably supports a varnish container; and a pumping device.
US08042460B2

A head unit for coil packaging is disclosed to transfer and fasten band for fixing a packaging material to a coil. The head unit for coil packaging, including: a band transfer unit that transfers a front end of a band supplied for coil packaging to a position at which a robot for winding the band to a coil can grip the front end of the band, and transfers the front end of the band such that it overlaps with the band as the robot provides the front end of the band wound on the coil; and a band fastening unit that fastens the front end of the band to the band.
US08042454B2

A machine for filtered coffee comprising a main body having at least a tank containing the water, at least an aperture to access at least the containing tank in order to load the water, and at least a basket, comprising a housing compartment to house members to filter the coffee. The basket is pivoted to the main body so as to be rotatably and selectively disposed between a closed position, in which the basket is comprised in the bulk of the main body, in such a manner that access to the housing compartment is prevented, and an open position, in which the basket makes access available to the housing compartment, and vice versa. The basket, in the closed position, closes the aperture, preventing access to the tank.
US08042453B2

A piston has a pair of diametrically opposite skirt portions each having an opening providing fluid communication between an outer surface of the skirt portions and an internal cavity. The openings provide the outer surfaces of the skirt portions with a circumferentially extending upper band portion above a horizontal plane extending through a pin bore axis and a circumferentially extending lower band portion below the horizontal plane.
US08042452B2

The invention relates to a lifting ram for lifting platforms, in particular for underfloor lifting platforms, comprising an inner tubular body and an outer body which is at least partially tubular and which at least partially surrounds the inner tubular body, wherein the outer tubular body and the inner tubular body are connected to one another at least in a force-fitting manner via connecting elements. The lifting ram is an extruded element at least in some sections.
US08042450B2

Safety apparatus for firearms are described. An example safety apparatus may be used with a firearm having a latch movable between a first position to retain a breech of the firearm and a second position to enable movement of the breech. The safety apparatus includes a biased safety mechanism coupled to the latch and movable between the first position and the second position. Additionally, the safety apparatus includes a safety device moveable between a locking position and a non-locking position. The safety device interacts with the biased safety mechanism when the safety device is in the locking position and the safety mechanism is in the first position to enable the biased safety mechanism to prevent a trigger force from moving the latch to the second position but to enable the latch to be deflected by a returning breech.
US08042448B1

A muzzle device configured to be attached to the muzzle region of a barrel. The muzzle device has a compensator region positioned longitudinally rearward from a flash suppression region. The muzzle device further is provided with adjacent compensator ports in communication by a longitudinally extending access vent.
US08042441B2

A cutter blade movably in a radial direction of a wafer is pressed for biasing to an outer circumferential edge of the semiconductor wafer. Simultaneously, the pushing biasing force of the cutter blade is controlled constant with automatic regulation corresponding to a traveling speed variation of the cutter blade, so that effect of a centrifugal force that works at the time of rotating travel of the cutter blade may not vary a pushing biasing force of the cutter blade. As a result, a contact pressure of the cutter blade to the outer circumferential edge of the semiconductor wafer is maintained stable.
US08042440B2

A punching die for punching out a seal member from a sheet of an inorganic fiber mat having a contour. The punching die includes a base plate. A first blade is supported on the base plate and has a cutting edge extending to form a loop. The first blade punches out a frame-shaped unnecessary portion, which includes the contour, and a seal member formation portion, which includes the seal member, from the inorganic fiber mat. A second blade, which is supported on the base plate at an outer side of the first blade, partially cuts the frame-shaped unnecessary portion. The at least one second blade forms a perforation in the frame-shaped unnecessary portion to separate the unnecessary portion into a plurality of unnecessary fragments. This improves productivity for production of the seal members.
US08042438B2

An exemplary cutting apparatus for cutting a workpiece includes a base, a cutting device and a first driving device. The cutting device is movably mounted on the base. The cutting device includes a first blade and a first vibrator. The first blade is movable in a moving direction toward the workpiece. The first vibrator is configured for vibrating the first blade to increase a shearing force applied to the workpiece. The first driving device is configured for driving the first blade to move.
US08042430B2

A pedal assembly that provides a hysteresis in pedal force-response upon actuation is provided. The pedal assembly includes a housing and a pedal arm that has an end. The end has a rotatable drum that defines a braking surface. The pedal arm is rotatably mounted to the housing. A lever extends from the second end. A brake pad is retained by the housing and has a contact surface that is substantially complementary to the braking surface. The brake pad is adapted to be engaged with the braking surface. A bias spring device is situated between the lever and the brake pad for urging the contact surface of the brake pad into frictional engagement with the braking surface of the drum. A sensor is coupled to the pedal arm to sense the position of the pedal arm.
US08042429B2

A control switch includes a rotary shaft rotatably mounted therein. A switching knob is mounted to the rotary shaft and a surface of the control switch. Also, a stationary shaft is arranged beside the rotary shaft. A driving control disk and a locking control disk are sequentially and rotatably fit onto the stationary shaft so that when the switching knob on the surface is actuated, the rotary shaft is rotated to selectively drive cables through the driving control disk or the locking control disk to thereby effect switching of transmission modes and the function of locking. Thus, the amount of space required for installation is reduced and the chance of malfunctioning is also reduced and further, the costs are reduced.
US08042427B2

A bicycle shifter is configured to ensure that the position where a main shifter body is attached to a bicycle can be easily varied. The bicycle shifter basically has a mounting bracket, a main shifter body and a fixing mechanism. The mounting bracket is preferably configured be fixed to a handlebar of a bicycle. The main shifter body is mounted on the mounting bracket and has a shifter mechanism in the interior. The fixing mechanism is a mechanism whereby the main shifter body can be fixed in place on the mounting bracket at an arbitrary attachment position between a first position and a second position.
US08042422B2

A sealing element for sealing off a drive unit, having a radial shaft sealing ring that has a radial sealing face for sealing off from a first component and a diametrically opposed radial sealing lip for sealing off from a further rotatable component, in which an axial sealing ring for axial sealing of a third component is integrally formed onto the radial shaft sealing ring.
US08042420B2

A twin clutch type speed-change apparatus for detecting the engagement state of a dog clutch by use of the rotational speed difference between an inner main shaft and an outer main shaft and of a signal outputted from a gear position sensor. A rotational speed difference between an inner main shaft and an outer main shaft is detected by use of inner and outer rotational speed sensors. When the engagement of the dog clutch is to be released, it is judged to complete the release if the signal outputted from the gear position sensor indicates a speed step number after shifting and the rotational speed difference is zero. It is judged as a dog-tip caught state if the signal outputted from the gear position sensor indicates a speed step number before or after shifting and the rotational speed difference is a transmission gear ratio difference.
US08042419B2

An outer circumference of a shift drum of a vehicle transmission is provided with at least one particular lead groove among multiple lead grooves which continuously extends beyond one circle of the shift drum. Two ends of the particular lead groove are arranged so as to be out of alignment with each other in the axial direction of the shift drum. A common shift position adapted to establish gear trains with two shift stages different from each other is set at one position corresponding to the two ends of the particular lead groove along the circumferential direction of the shift drum. The resulting configuration prevents an increase in the diameter of a shift drum and eliminates the significant change of the shape of a lead groove, even as the number of shift positions set on the shift drum is increased.
US08042417B2

An actuator is described which comprises a rotatable actuator member (14, 114) and a lock arrangement (28, 128) operable to lock the actuator member (14, 144) against rotation, the lock arrangement (28, 128) comprising an axially movable lock member (30, 130, 230a, 230b), the lock member being movable between a locked position in which it co-operates with a stop (34, 136) to resist rotation of the actuator member, and a released position, and an actuation device (62, 162) operable to move the lock member towards its released position.
US08042415B2

A motion converting drive mechanism converting a rotary motion into a linear reciprocating motion includes a motor having an output shaft, a housing case to which the output shaft of the motor is fixed, a reduction gear mechanism including a first pinion and a second pinion meshing with the first pinion, and a screw mechanism having an internal threaded portion and an external threaded portion, one of which is integrally and coaxially formed with the second pinion. The first pinion serving as a helical gear wheel having two to four teeth is rotatably supported by the housing case therein. The first pinion has a rotation axis rotatably and coaxially connected to the output shaft of the motor. The second pinion having a rotation axis arranged in parallel and close to the rotation axis of the first pinion is rotatably supported by the housing case therein.
US08042413B2

A piezoelectric sensor for bending moment measurements has measuring elements separating at their axes and electrically connecting both halves with their opposing directions of polarization. Such a sensor, mounted with its axis on the neutral bending axis of a machine structure, thus measures concurrently both tension and compression of the machine on both sides of the axis thereof.
US08042406B2

A method and system for determining the reliability of a rotating component compares a normalized stress curve with a normalized strength curve. The resulting overlap corresponds with the reliability of the rotating component.
US08042404B2

A stress detection circuit includes a function block and a detection signal generation circuit. The function block outputs a first voltage such that the first voltage is varied depending on an extent that the function block is stressed. The detection signal generation circuit generates a stress detection signal based on the first voltage and a second voltage during a test mode. The stress detection signal represents integration of the function block, and a level of the second voltage corresponds to a level of the first voltage before the function block is stressed.
US08042400B2

A pressure sensor according to the present invention comprises: a differential pressure diaphragm, which is provided to a center part of a sensor chip; a differential pressure gauge, which is provided to a perimeter edge part of the differential pressure diaphragm and is formed in radial directions; a differential pressure gauge, which is disposed at a position at which it opposes the differential pressure gauge and, together with the first differential pressure gauge, sandwiches the differential pressure diaphragm and is formed in perimeter directions, which are perpendicular to the radial directions; a differential pressure gauge, which is provided in the vicinity of the differential pressure gauge and is provided in the perimeter directions; a differential pressure gauge, which is disposed at a position at which it opposes the differential pressure gauge and, together with the differential pressure gauge, sandwiches the differential pressure diaphragm and is formed in the radial directions; a static pressure diaphragm, which is disposed at a position that lies in the perimeter directions between the differential pressure gauge and the differential pressure gauge; and a static pressure diaphragm, which is disposed at a position at which it opposes the static pressure diaphragm and, together with the static pressure diaphragm, sandwiches the differential pressure diaphragm.
US08042393B2

An arrangement for measuring a rate of rotation using a vibration sensor, being excited and measured by means of capacitive drive elements, and the rotation of said sensor in an axis, excited by a rotation in another axis by means of the Coriolis force, being measured by means of capacitive measuring elements. Excitation voltages can be supplied to the fixed electrodes of the drive elements, the frequency of said voltages corresponding to the resonance frequency or the subharmonic of the resonance frequency of the vibration sensor. An alternating voltage having a first measuring frequency which is higher than the excitation frequency can be supplied to capacitive elements for measuring the excited vibration. Alternating voltages having a second measuring frequency higher than the excitation frequency are supplied to the fixed electrodes of the measuring elements can be supplied to drive elements causing a vibration excitation in a direction on the basis of the excitation voltage, being in antiphase with the excitation voltage.
US08042384B2

A method for estimating the composition of a fuel within an engine, comprises performing the following steps under ambient conditions: (a′) determining the ambient temperature of the fuel; (a) monitoring the fuel pressure inside a fuel rail of the engine over a period of time; (b) calculating at least one frequency component of the change in fuel pressure; (c) calculating the speed of sound transmission c on the basis of the at least one frequency component; and (d) estimating the composition of the fuel on the basis of the calculated speed of sound transmission at said ambient temperature. Suitably, the speed of sound transmission in the fuel is calculated using the equation: c=fλ, where the wavelength λ of the standing wave with frequency f is 2L, where L is the length of the fuel rail. Also described are methods for estimating the temperature of the fuel at a non-ambient temperature, and determining a fuels physical properties. Methods for controlling a fuel injection system in an engine according to the determined physical properties of the fuel and the resultant fuel injection system are also described.
US08042380B2

A gas sensor has a sensor element, extending axially, that detects a particular gas component in a gas under measurement, a metal housing causing the end of the sensor element to protrude farther than the end thereof to expose it to the gas under measurement and that surrounds the periphery of the sensor element and an outer tube disposed at the rear end inside the metal housing and a seal member that is disposed farther to the rear than the detection element and also inside the rear end of the outer tube, and that has formed therein a atmosphere-introduction hole passing therethrough in the axial direction, the gas sensor further having a crimped part, formed in the outer tube, for the purpose of holding the seal member a hollow-cylindrical member in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the atmosphere-introduction hole so as to oppose the crimped part, and a metal filter that joins to the hollow-cylindrical member at the rear end of the hollow-cylindrical member and also farther to the rear than the crimped part.
US08042373B2

A medical device crimping system comprises a crimper and a plurality of protective strips. The crimper defines a crimping iris, which has an open state and a closed state. In the open state the cross-sectional area of the crimping iris is greater than in the closed state. The plurality of protective strips extend longitudinally through the crimping iris. Each of the strips is radially offset from one another. The strips protect the stent from direct contact with the crimping blades of the crimper.
US08042372B2

A method may include providing an outer panel that may have a flange that defines at least one planar section. The flange may be heated at the at least one planar section, and the flange may be bent about the at least one planar section.
US08042368B2

To produce hollow profiles from sheet-metal blanks, the invention uses at least two process steps to form said blanks into a slit profile which is subsequently welded to produce the finished welded profile. For this purpose a mandrel is used which cooperates with a first tool part in the first step, and with a second tool part in the second step, such as to form a gap with the recess of each tool part into which a portion of the sheet-metal blank is guided. Shaping the sheet-metal blank in at least two steps means that a mandrel that is a self-contained component and can therefore be moved by a simple control device can be used to support the sheet-metal blank while the slit profile is being created. This considerably reduces the equipment needed to produce the hollow profile. Moreover, forming the sheet-metal blank into the slit profile in at least two steps also considerably improves the reliability with which this shaping takes place.
US08042346B2

The present invention relates to a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a receiver unit for receiving information required for every day life, a control unit for determining information a user is in need from the information required for every day life, and a display unit for displaying the information the user is in need to an outside of the refrigerator.
US08042345B2

An air conditioning system comprising: an indoor and an outdoor unit connected through common power supply lines The indoor unit comprising a first communications circuit in communication with the outdoor unit through first and second communication lines independent of the supply lines; and a second communication circuit that communicates through one of the supply lines and a third communication line. The outdoor unit comprising a third communication circuit in communication with one of the first and second communication circuits; a switch that connects or disconnects a communication terminal with one of the common power supply lines based on a connection status between the third communication circuit and the first and second communication circuits; and a judging circuit that controls the connection and disconnection, and judges, based on the presence of an acknowledge signal, whether the first and the second communication circuit is connected to the outdoor unit.
US08042337B2

This invention relates to the sun location tracking method and apparatus of solar heat or photovoltaic collectors which are composed of a solar heat comparison collector for tracing the sun, a solar heat collector for reverting the collectors to sunrise position, and a turbine driven instrument of differential gear for mechanical driving of the tracking system so the tracking is accomplished by itself, and a heat exchanger and a water tank are provided to improve efficiency. The sun location tracking is performed by kinetic force of the steam turbine which driven by the steam from the solar heat comparison collector that generating steam with the solar energy only, so the most solar heat or photovoltaic energy to be obtained at the collectors while tracking the sun location from sunrise to sunset as driving one or more solar heat or photovoltaic collector(s) with interlocking movement manner.
US08042334B2

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and associated methods for generating energy by capturing and taking benefit of the energy generated by any quantity of air surfacing inside water. The apparatus includes a frame structure to which is rotatably mounted an upper drive wheel, a lower wheel, and a vertical fluid column container. An endless chain of gas capsule elements is mounted on the upper and lower wheels. This endless chain passes vertically up into and through the fluid column container through a seal port in the bottom of the container. As the endless chain of gas capsule elements passes vertically through the fluid in the container, fluid pressure on the elements due to the height of the column of fluid in the container produces a net buoyant force upward on the elements, causing them to rise, generating kinetic energy that turns the wheels.
US08042331B2

A fixed displacement binary pump is provided for a powertrain on a vehicle. A hydraulic system is operatively connected with first and second discharge ports of the pump and is operable to alternately permit fluid flow through both discharge ports (i.e., full displacement or volumetric output of the pump) or permit flow through only the first discharge port (i.e., partial displacement or volumetric output of the pump). The pump may be packaged in a front support of the transmission. An auxiliary pump may be provided that is operable to supplement the output of the binary pump or to be used when the binary pump is off. A method of operating the binary pump and auxiliary pump is provided.
US08042320B2

A workstation of a packaging machine comprises a lifting device (100) which is configured such that it is able to convert a rotary motion of a motor (8) into a translator motion of the workstation by a lever device (6). The stroke of the lifting device (100) is performable for this purpose by a pivotable lever (61) and a roller (32) which cooperates with an upper roller limit (33).
US08042312B2

Disclosed herein is a three-dimensional cellular light structure formed of continuous wire groups. In the cellular light structure, six orientational-wire groups are intercrossed each other at 60 degrees or 120 degrees of angles in a three-dimensional space to thereby construct the structure similar to the ideal Octet or Kagome truss and having a good mechanical property such as strength, rigidity or the like. A method of mass-producing the structure in a cost-effective manner is also disclosed. The three-dimensional cellular light structure has a similar form to the ideal Octet or Kagome truss. When required, the intersection points of the wires are bonded by means of welding, brazing, soldering, or a liquid- or spray-form adhesive to provide a structural material having a light weight and a good mechanical strength and rigidity. It can be made into a fiber-reinforced type composite material by filling part of or entire internal empty space of the structure.
US08042309B2

A cast veneer wall panel includes a backing panel having a rear face and a front face. The front face includes a boundary wall and a continuous abutment extending around a perimeter of a casting field. The cast veneer wall panel further includes a facing panel formed from a cast material that is received and held within the casting field. The facing panel includes at least one design element.
US08042306B2

A method, a system, and a device for erecting a tower. The method comprises assembling proximate to the ground a base section, top section, and one or more intermediate sections of the tower into an assembled tower lying in a substantially horizontal first plane, the assembled tower comprising a top end including the top section and a bottom end including the base section. The method also includes orienting the attitude of the assembled tower using a lift initiator to lie in a second plane defining an acute angle to the first plane, so that the top end of the tower is higher in elevation than the bottom end. The method also includes lifting the assembled tower from the second plane to a vertical plane with a primary lift assembly and coupling the assembled tower to the foundation. The primary lift assembly may comprise a pulley having a continuous loop of cable connected to a counter-balanced tackle-block system.
US08042300B2

A method of managing timberland generally includes planting a softwood tree crop in first and second rows, wherein the tree crop has a tree spacing between adjacent trees and a row spacing between the first and second rows. The method further includes planting an energy crop in the row spacing, wherein the energy crop is a regenerating lignocellulosic energy crop. The method further includes periodically harvesting the energy crop for a predetermined number of harvests.
US08042299B1

The mole trap includes a base assembly and an upper movable frame. Two vertical guide rods are attached to the base assembly and pass through the bores through the upper movable frame. Springs urge the movable frame away from the base. Two U-shaped rods are attached to the movable frame and extend under the base. An upper horizontal pin is fixed to the movable frame. A lower horizontal pin is fixed to the base. A tension link connected to the upper pin. A recess in the link receives the lower pin and holds both springs in loaded condition. A bracket with a tension link recess is pivotally mounted on the lower pin. A tension link release surface on the bracket releases the tension link when a mole sensor pivots the bracket.
US08042298B1

The present invention includes improvements for fishing lures. In some embodiments, a blade of a fishing lure includes a louvered hole. The louvered hole increases the blade turning action as water moves through the hole making the lure more enticing to fish resulting in more bites/strikes. The size, shape, type, color, texture and other characteristics of the blade and the overall lure are all changeable. In a second embodiment, a lure includes one or more elongated tails. In some embodiments, the elongated tails float, spin, slow down the lure and/or generate an appearance similar to a living creature. Again, the other characteristics of the lure with elongated tails are all changeable.
US08042297B2

The present invention relates to a magazine (10) for a handheld firearm, suitable for accommodating a plurality of cartridges (11, 12, 13, 14) which are transported in a guided movement by means of a feed within the magazine in the direction of the barrel of a weapon, in order to be loaded individually in each case into the barrel of the weapon at the upper end of the magazine after each shot, with the cartridges being guided along a curved path in the magazine. When using cartridges with a firing rim (19), in order to ensure that these cartridges are emitted at the upper end of the magazine such that the firing rim of the uppermost cartridge (14) is always in front of that of the second-uppermost cartridge (13), the invention provides that the internal contour of the magazine (10) is designed, at least in an area at a distance from the upper magazine end, such that successive cartridges assume an interlaced arrangement with crossing axes, the internal contour tapers toward the upper end of the magazine such that the cartridges are aligned, and that the firing rim (19) of at least the uppermost cartridge (14) is guided by guide elements in the magazine.
US08042296B1

Semiautomatic or fully automatic firearm, in particular in the form of a rifle or a pistol, containing a barrel whose rear barrel end is in the form of a cartridge chamber into which a projectile can in each case be inserted from the rear; a breech body which is arranged in a breech guide between the cartridge chamber and a rear wall such that it can move in the longitudinal direction between an open position, which releases the cartridge chamber in order to load a projectile, and a closed position which closes the cartridge chamber, wherein, in the closed position, the breech body closes the cartridge chamber at the rear and is used as an opposing bearing for the cartridge case; characterized in that at least one permanent magnet is provided such that, at least in the closed position and in the positions close to the closed position, its magnetic field forces the breech body to the closed position, such that the magnetic force of the at least one permanent magnet simulates a higher mass of the breech body, which acts as an opposing bearing during the firing of a projectile.
US08042294B2

An album frame is provided having an outer frame. The outer frame has a back side and an outer periphery. A mounting plate is attached to the back side of the outer frame. A support shelf extends frontwardly from the mounting plate along a first portion of the inner periphery. The support shelf is adapted to support a binding of an album. In addition, the outer frame may have a recessed groove in a second portion of the inner periphery. The second portion is located opposite the first portion of the inner periphery. Furthermore, the outer frame may include a first guiding ramp on a third portion of the inner periphery and a second guiding ramp on a fourth portion of the inner periphery. The first guiding ramp and the second guiding ramp allows an edge of an album cover to be guided into the recessed groove.
US08042287B2

The invention relates to a plastic insole comprising a curve support for the metatarsus. Provided in the region of the greatest height of the curve support on the underside of the insole are a plurality of longitudinally extending stiffening ribs as well as grooves, said grooves extending from the toe region in the direction of the heel as far as the metatarsal region and so curving round in the metatarsal region to the lateral side of the insole and terminating in said region that extending between the grooves are spring strips issuing from each of the toes, wherein material can be removed from the spring strips and stiffening ribs in order individually to adapt the thickness thereof.
US08042284B2

A heating system and a method of controlling the heating system are provided. When a heating unit and a switch are turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more, only some of heaters of the heating unit are turned on, thereby increasing service life of the heating unit and the switch.
US08042270B2

A hose coupling fitting is furnished with a coupling head portion having a connecting hole, and a nipple portion having a nipple hole, and is fabricated through sequential cold forging steps carried out on a rod material. Specifically, a first pilot hole is formed along the center axis from a first end of the rod material, and a second pilot hole is formed along the center axis from the other end of the rod material. The second pilot hole is connected to the first pilot hole, and is formed with smaller diameter than the first pilot hole and larger diameter than the nipple hole. The surrounding area of the second pilot hole is then worked to form the nipple portion.
US08042267B2

The invention relates to a method for producing microsystems comprising microelectronic components that are inserted into cavities created during the layered construction of a base body consisting of a photocurable material, said components being situated adjacent to and/or above one another on several planes and being interconnected either electrically or thermally. The invention is characterised in that once said microelectronic components have been inserted, the layered construction of the base body continues and that a structure is constructed consisting of an electrically or thermally conductive material that projects vertically above the contacts (pads) of the electronic component, said conductive material producing a direct connection to an additional electronic component above the first electronic component or to one or several additional electronic components that is or are located at a lateral distance from said first component by means of a conductor track that runs horizontally from the conductive material projecting vertically above the pad.
US08042263B2

According to the present invention, there is provided a process for manufacturing a circuit board wherein a first substrate having a conductor post and a second substrate having a conductor pad for receiving the conductor post are laminated through an interlayer adhesive, and the conductor post and the conductor pad are electrically connected, comprising, as a first step, bonding the conductor pad with the conductor post by thermocompression under predetermined first conditions while the first and the second substrates are arranged such that the conductor pad faces the conductor post through the interlayer adhesive; thermocompressing the first substrate and the second substrate under predetermined second conditions while the conductor pad is bonded with the conductor post; and thermocompressing the first substrate and the second substrate under predetermined third conditions while the conductor pad is bonded with the conductor post, wherein the first, the second and the third conditions are different from each other.
US08042259B2

A magnetic recording head and a method of manufacturing the same. The magnetic recording head includes a stack containing a main pole and a return pole. The stack includes a first magnetic layer having a groove formed therein; an insulating layer covering a surface of the groove; and a second magnetic layer pattern filling the groove covered with the insulating layer.
US08042252B2

The coupling includes a mandrel and a coupling outer sleeve. In a method for installing the coupling on a pipe, the mandrel is inserted into the inner diameter of an end of pipe with an outboard end of the mandrel protruding from an end of the pipe. Then the outer sleeve is positioned over the pipe to form a length of substantially concentrically arranged, overlapping parts of the mandrel, the pipe and the sleeve. Then the sleeve is crimped over at least a portion of length, which engages the pipe between the sleeve and the mandrel. Either before or after sleeve is crimped over the pipe, the sleeve is connected to the outboard end of the mandrel.
US08042249B2

A method and apparatus for providing motor vehicle sub-assemblies with unrestricted model mix and quick changeover between models. The apparatus includes a track; a carriage mounted for longitudinal movement along the track between first and second positions; and first and second turrets rotatably mounted on the carriage at longitudinally spaced locations and each including a plurality of circumferentially spaced individual faces and unique tooling fixtures on the respective faces for receiving unique work piece components corresponding to a plurality of motor vehicle body styles.
US08042247B2

A tool for use in a powder metal process is disclosed. The tool includes an upper tool and a lower tool. The upper and lower tools may include multiple members for each tool. The lower tool having a predetermined cross sectional profile that continuously expands outward from or near a center point of the lower tool. The lower tool is also secured within a press for the powder metal process via a fastening mechanism.
US08042246B1

A tool and method of repair for removing a bulge in a stained glass window by providing at least one aperture in the metal earning of the stained glass window; positioning at least one threaded rod member through at least one of such aperture(s); further positioning two tool members one on each side of the stained glass window, each tool member having at least one aperture defined therein and a flat surface with the flat surface of one tool member being positioned against the bulge in the stained glass window and the other positioned behind the bulge, each of such tool members receiving such rod member(s), respectively, in such tool member aperture(s). Tightening means are positioned on the ends of such rod member(s) which tightening means are manually adjusted to urge such tool members toward one another to compress the bulge in the stained glass window to bring it into alignment with the original plane of the stained glass window while the stained glass window is within its frame including when the window is still in a wall or other location without the need for disassembling and reassembling the stained glass pieces.
US08042245B2

A repair kit for a vehicle brake slack adjuster provides C-shaped reinforcement plates that may be clamped on opposite sides of a damaged stabilizer anchor tab to repair the same without removal of the slack adjuster.
US08042243B1

A tool that can be held and operated with one hand to attach a corner bead to an outside corner of drywall includes a substantially V-shaped member having a pair of interior surfaces disposed at an angle of less than 100° and a frame or handle attached thereto. The handle maybe sized and shaped to fit comfortably in the palm of a human hand. A lever is pivotally attached to the handle. A pair of opposed pincers having pointed tips are pivotally mounted relative to the V-shaped member so as to allow the tips to move in a converging direction. A mechanical linkage system translates force applied to the lever into a the converging motion of the pincers. The apparatus facilitates transmitting to the corner bead force applied to the frame in a first direction and deforming the corner bead with a second force applied to the frame/lever in a second direction, the second force having a component in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction, the second force having a magnitude correlating to the defamation force applied to the corner bead.
US08042239B2

A piezoelectric/electrostrictive element with improved moisture resistance while having less degradation in its piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties and a method of manufacturing such a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element are provided. A laminated vibrator of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element has a structure in which an electrode film, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film, another electrode film, another piezoelectric/electrostrictive film, and another electrode film are laminated one above the other. In the manufacture of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element, the laminated vibrator and a counter electrode are immersed in an electrodeposition coating fluid containing a coating component so that the electrodeposition coating fluid is brought into contact with the surfaces of the laminated vibrator and the counter electrode. Thereafter, voltage is applied between an internal electrode film and the counter electrode to induce electrophoresis of the coating component toward a surface-exposed defect, whereby the coating material is selectively electrodeposited on the surface-exposed defect.
US08042235B2

A buckling device for safety belts includes a buckle made of metal material and bent to form a projected holder. A wider segment of the holder is used to insert a side of the safety belt to the buckle. On each of two sides of a narrower segment of the holder is mounted a second side plate. Between two second side plates is defined a locking unit by using a shank. On an upper rim of the second side plate is a recess. The locking unit includes an engagement member in which a rotary member, a fixing piece, a compression spring, a mounting member, and a torsion spring are received. A fastening member includes a bottom sheet, with a wider segment thereof being used to insert another side of the safety belt. The fastening member further includes a retaining pore secured on a narrower segment thereof.
US08042234B2

Disclosed is a clamping device including a collar having at least one pair of projecting lugs and tightening means co-operating with said lugs. Each lug of a pair is equipped with reinforcement means suitable for opposing deformation of said lugs under the action of the tightening means. Each lug has a connection portion via which it is connected to a belt portion of the collar, which connection portion is upstanding relative to said belt portion, and a tightening wall, with which the tightening means come into engagement and which is folded back towards the belt portion. A space is formed between the connection portion and the tightening wall.
US08042231B2

A portable terminal having a hinge apparatus is provided. The portable terminal includes a first housing, a second housing pivotally coupled to the first housing so that the second housing can be unfolded from and folded onto the first housing, and a hinge apparatus coupling the first housing and the second housing together. The hinge apparatus provides a first hinge axis and a second hinge axis perpendicular to each other, in which, from the folded state in which the second housing is folded on the first housing, the second housing is operable to rotate about the first hinge axis to be located in an upper side of the first housing and to rotate about the second hinge axis to be located in a first side of the first housing. Also, the hinge apparatus allows the second housing to rotate about the first hinge axis to be unfolded at an angle of approximately 90° with respect to the first housing and then rotate about the second hinge axis so that an inner face of the second housing is oriented in a same direction in which a first side of the portable terminal faces. Therefore, the hinge apparatus provides a portable terminal that is convenient to use not only communication functions, but also multimedia services such as watching broadcastings.
US08042224B2

A cleaning appliance includes a main body, a handle assembly and a hose. The handle assembly includes a tube and a gripping portion fixedly attached thereto. The hose has one end attached to the main body. The tube is movable relative to the main body between a stored position in which at least a part of the tube lies within the hose and an extended position in which the gripping portion can be used to manipulate the cleaning appliance in use. By providing such an arrangement, the handle assembly and the hose can be stored compactly. When the user wishes to store the cleaning appliance, the tube can be retracted inside the hose for storage. When the tube is extended, the gripping portion is at a convenient height to be manipulated by a user.
US08042222B2

A vacuum attachment for a vacuum cleaner including a housing having a vacuum channel. A roller is rotatably and displaceably disposed in a region of the vacuum channel and driveable during a vacuuming operation. The roller includes at least one of bristles and baffle walls configured to be in partial contact with a floor covering during the vacuuming operation. At least one roller magnet is disposed on the roller at least one end thereof. At least one housing magnet is non-rotatably disposed on the housing axially adjacent to the at least one roller magnet and configured to interact with the at least one roller magnet so as to alternately at least one of attract and repel the roller so that the roller performs an oscillatory motion as it rotates.
US08042216B2

In one embodiment, an ergonomic brush includes a handle grip with finger slots situated between thumb slots and a palm rest extending rearwardly from the finger slots. A bristle base may be adapted to the handle grip, where the bristle base includes a bristle field having a length extending in a direction substantially parallel to a user's hand when engaged in the finger slots.
US08042214B2

An oral care implement with a soft tissue cleanser is provided to effectively cleanse the soft tissue of the mouth with comfort and a reduced risk of injury to the user. In one construction, a projection is formed of a combination of a hard material and a soft material. The hard material provides good stability for cleaning debris from the tongue or other tissue while the soft material provides comfort and a reduced risk of injury.
US08042210B2

A mechanism for activation of an articulating bed incorporates at least one mattress support plate and a pair of side rails. A rack is attached to each side rail and a torque tube extends between the side rails with a pinion gear at each end engaging a respective one of the racks. An actuator imparts translational motion to the torque tube perpendicular to its axis. Elevation bars connected to the torque tube and the support plate are angularly displaced by translation of the torque tube.
US08042208B2

An operating table has first bed platforms, each which can rotate. In an operating configuration, the patient lies on one of the bed platforms in a prone or supine position with the bed platform centered over the base. When the patient needs to be turned, the other table extends outwardly, and both tables are rotated to position the patient for turning. Once the patient is turned, the table on which the patient lies is returned to its operating position over the base and the other table is returned to its storage position.
US08042207B2

The conventional holding mechanism for foldable side rails have such problems that the release lever can be accidentally pressed for release action and that if a double lock is employed for preventing it, automatic holding action cannot be performed.This invention proposes a holding mechanism for foldable side rails, characterized in that the holding mechanism 4 is provided at an end of an upper horizontal rail member 1u and comprises a mechanism support member 5 connected with the stanchion member provided at said end; the mechanism support member 5 has a stopper pin set 12 capable of advancing and receding; the stopper pin set 12 is biased in the advancing direction by a spring 13; the stanchion member has a fitting hole 10 allowing the stopper pin set 12 to be fitted in it when the stanchion member is kept erect; the mechanism support member further has a release lever 6 engaged with a mechanically driven trigger site 15 provided in connection with the stopper pin set for making the stopper pin set recede against the force of the spring; a play mechanism is provided between the release lever and the mechanically driven trigger site; and the mechanism support member further has a release prevention mechanism for preventing the movement of the release lever in the release allowing direction.
US08042203B2

A faucet body includes an inner pipe and an outer pipe enclosed around the inner pipe. The inner pipe is formed by a plastic injection molding process and has an inside formed with a water guide channel. Preferably, the outer pipe is directly enclosed around the outside of the inner pipe after the inner pipe is formed and is formed by a plastic injection molding process so that the inner pipe and the outer pipe are combined together. Thus, the outer pipe is enclosed around the inner pipe to form the faucet body, and the outer pipe and the inner pipe are formed by a plastic injection molding process, so that the faucet body is made and worked easily and quickly.
US08046842B2

A method and system for encouraging users of computer readable content to register. The method involves embedding in the computer readable content, instruction codes operable to direct a processor circuit to automatically establish a connection to a server, when the content is in use by the processor circuit, to transmit registration information to the server and operable to control further use of the content by the processor circuit in response to a key received from the server.
US08046835B2

A distributed multi-agent system and method is implemented and employed across at least one intranet for purposes of real time collection, monitoring, aggregation, analysis and modeling of system and network operations, communications, internal and external accesses, code execution functions, network and network resource conditions as well as other assessable criteria within the implemented environment. Analytical models are constructed and dynamically updated from the data sources so as to be able to rapidly identify and characterize conditions within the environment (such as behaviors, events, and functions) that are typically characteristic with that of a normal state and those that are of an abnormal or potentially suspicious state. The model is further able to implement statistical flagging functions, provide analytical interfaces to system administrators and estimate likely conditions that characterize the state of the system and the potential threat. The model may further recommend (or alternatively implement autonomously or semi-autonomously) optimal remedial repair and recovery strategies as well as the most appropriate countermeasures to isolate or neutralize the threat and its effects.
US08046829B2

A system and method is disclosed for dynamically and securely establishing a tunnel for a mobile device. In the preferred embodiments, the system and method operate to dynamically assign one or more tunnel endpoint addresses to a client which is not on the same IP-link as an authentication agent depending on an authentication result based on using an authentication protocol source port number in order to address communications.
US08046814B1

A system and method for dynamically formulating and delivering a video program that includes perishable information is provided. The system includes a video server that creates a video program using one or more recent video segments in combination with other video segments. The recent video segments are typically generated in a studio, whereas the other video segments are obtained from a variety of sources, including databases and live feeds. An audio system stores pre-recorded audio and is used to create audio for certain video segments. The video server enables an organization to deliver more customized video programs to more users and to update those video programs more frequently without requiring additional studio time or resources.
US08046809B2

A multicast services control system is provided for Internet protocol television transport. The system includes a service distribution platform, at least one service concentration platform, and at least one set-top box. The service distribution platform has a multicast table. The service distribution platform is configured to receive channels from an Internet protocol video source and the multicast table is configured to include an entry for each of the channels. The at least one service concentration platform communicates with the service distribution platform for forwarding “leaves” and receiving “joins” with the service distribution platform. The at least one set-top box includes a receiving port and is configured to generate “leaves” and forward the “leaves” to one or more of the at least one service concentration platform wherein the “leaves” are snooped by portals and concentrators and wherein the set-top box is further configured to receive “joins” from one or more of the at least one service concentration platform. A method is also provided.
US08046801B2

An interactive television program guide with remote access is provided. The interactive television program guide is implemented on interactive television program guide equipment. A remote program guide access device is connected to the interactive television program guide equipment by a remote access link to provide a user with remote access to program guide functions. An interactive television program guide system based on multiple user television equipment devices in a single household is provided. The system provides a user with an opportunity to adjust program guide settings with a given one of the interactive television program guides. Program guide setting include features related to setting program reminders, profiles, program recording features, messaging features, favorites features, parental control features, program guide set up features (e.g., audio and video and language settings), etc.
US08046798B1

Profiling a television viewer by monitoring and processing, locally at a television viewing environment, the viewer's interactivity (e.g., via a remote control unit) with the television viewing environment. Generating one or more profiles for each viewer based on one or more of the multitude of interactions of each viewer and on, in general, the viewing habits and preferences of the viewer. Automatically and reliably, detecting or inferring at a particular time, which specific individual or individuals, are actually interacting with the TV in household comprising more than one individual. Such viewer identification and profile generation can be used to facilitate the delivery of targeted content, including targeted advertising.
US08046795B2

A system and method for controlling a media generation system where a media event may be selected via a stateless software module, the system receiving a media event protocol file corresponding to the selected media event. The media generation system generates the media event based on the received media event protocol file.
US08046793B2

The selection of favorites for a video presentation system.
US08046785B2

An objective lens actuator comprises a lens holder for attaching an objective lens thereon, a piece of focusing coil, being wound along side surface of the lens holder around the objective lens, and three magnets, being disposed opposing to two surfaces each having a normal line perpendicular to both a focusing direction and a tracking direction, among four side surfaces of the lens holder, wherein the three magnets are aligned, continuously, along the tracking direction, differing a polarity thereof from one another, and width of the magnets on both outsides is wider than width of the magnet inside, or alternately, one magnet, being disposed opposing to two surfaces each having a normal line perpendicular to both a focusing direction and a tracking direction, among four side surfaces of the lens holder, wherein the magnet is magnetized into three poles along the tracking direction, and among the three poles, width of the poles on both outsides is wider than width of the pole inside.
US08046781B2

An optical disc drive suitable for reading a data in an optical disc is provided. The optical disc drive includes a housing, a tray suitable for carrying the optical disc, and a panel. The housing has a first opening, and the panel is disposed at the first opening. The tray is disposed in the housing. The tray has a blocking plate. The blocking plate is disposed on a front edge of the tray, and multiple protrusions are disposed on an upper edge of the blocking plate. Furthermore, the panel has a second opening, and the second opening has multiple notches corresponding to the protrusions. The tray is suitable for exiting out of the housing through the second opening, and the protrusions are suitable for passing through the notches.
US08046768B2

In an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus and method for detecting resource consumption and preventing workload starvation, are provided. The apparatus and method perform the acts including: receiving a query; determining if the query will be classified as a resource intense query, based on a number of passes by a cache call over a data blocks set during a time window, where the cache call is associated with the query; and if the query is classified as a resource intense query, then responding to prevent workload starvation.
US08046760B2

One embodiment disclosed relates to a method of finding lock contention in an application with concurrent threads. Status data is retrieved by periodically sampling status of said threads. The periodically-sampled status data is accumulated, and the lock contention is statistically found from the accumulated status data. The status data may include location information that is usable to pinpoint the lock contention.
US08046752B2

A method and system for creating and injecting code into a running program that identifies a hot data stream, and prefetching data elements in the stream so they are available when needed by the processor. The injected code identifies the first few elements in a hot data stream (i.e. the prefix), and prefetches the balance of the elements in the stream (i.e., the suffix). Since the hot data stream identification code and prefetch code is injected at run time, pointer related time-dependencies inherent in earlier prefetch systems are eliminated. A global deterministic finite state machine (DFSM) is used to help create conceptual logic used to generate the code injected into the program for prefix detection.
US08046751B1

A control flow graph may be generated from a model. The control flow graph may be restructured by converting at least one unstructured region of a control flow graph into a structured region. The restructuring may include locating at least one block between two merge nodes in the control flow graph, moving the located block to a different section of the control flow graph, and creating the structured region by surrounding the moved code block with a test of a guard variable.
US08046749B1

A tool for analyzing a sequence of data in an object-oriented environment is disclosed. In an embodiment, the sequence of data may include time-indexed sequence of data (“time series data”). The tool may enable a user to generate a time series object for encapsulating the time series data in the object-oriented environment. The user may construct the time series object from data or mathematical expressions using a command line interface. The time series object may include a sequence of objects implementing APIs that supply an interface for analyzing the times series data in the time series object. The user may analyze the time series data encapsulated in the time series object using the APIs of the time series object.
US08046744B1

The present invention provides a system and method for measuring latency in a continuous processing system. The invention involves generating “tracer” messages that are specifically designed for measuring latency. A tracer message is configured to pass through and be outputted by each primitive in the tracer message's path regardless of the function of the primitive and without changing the state of the primitive. Tracer messages are not filtered by filter primitives or delayed by time-delay primitives. Tracer messages are detected and discarded within loops. These rules provide for predictable behavior of tracer messages, thereby making them reliable indicators of latency and liveness in the continuous processing system. A tracer message is inserted into the continuous processing system at a desired start point for measuring latency. At a desired end point for measuring latency, latency is measured by calculating the amount of time the tracer message took to travel from the start point to the end point.
US08046732B2

A method, computer program product, and system for distributing changes to an application are disclosed. A graphical application modeling tool is provided for displaying a model of a pattern of the application. The model has a plurality of elements, where each element is linked to another element via a port. Each port representing a class that contains information about the pattern qualities of that port as related to the element. A change that is applied to a first element of the plurality of elements of the model is propagated to a second element of the plurality of elements via linked ports associated with the first and second elements.
US08046728B2

A first library cell and a second library cell each includes a plurality of metal layers, and a metal track direction of the odd metal layers of the first library cell is perpendicular to that of the odd metal layers of the second library cell. An integrated circuit design method applied to these library cells includes the steps of rotating the second library cell to cause the metal track direction of the odd metal layers of the second library cell to be parallel to that of the odd metal layers of the first library cell, and placing the first library cell and the second library cell in an identical integrated circuit design.
US08046722B2

A computer implemented method for correcting a mask pattern includes: predicting a displacement of a device pattern by using a mask pattern to form the device pattern and a variation of a process condition; determinating an optical proximity correction value so that the displacement falls within a displacement tolerance of the device pattern; and correcting the mask pattern using the optical proximity correction value.
US08046721B2

A device with a touch-sensitive display may be unlocked via gestures performed on the touch-sensitive display. The device is unlocked if contact with the display corresponds to a predefined gesture for unlocking the device. The device displays one or more unlock images with respect to which the predefined gesture is to be performed in order to unlock the device. The performance of the predefined gesture with respect to the unlock image may include moving the unlock image to a predefined location and/or moving the unlock image along a predefined path. The device may also display visual cues of the predefined gesture on the touch screen to remind a user of the gesture.
US08046718B2

A computing system and computer readable medium storing computer instructions are disclosed, which when the computer instructions are executed, enables a computer system to manage data using a file name on a computer system having a graphical user interface and a file system storing files with a file hierarchy. The computer instructions comprise, in part, entering a command from an application to create a file; displaying the file hierarchy; allowing a user to select at least one folder; saving data in a first file having a file name in one selected folder; in each of the other selected folders, creating a shortcut file having the same file name and containing a pointer to the first file; and creating a hidden file in the folder containing the first file, the hidden file containing a list of pointers to the shortcut files.
US08046711B2

A graphic rendering of searchable fields of a database, which rendering simulates a geometric solid having a plurality of facets. Each facet, which has its own thematic identity, can accept search inquiries and display results. Virtual manipulation of the geometric solid will expose a succeeding facet to direct view, which succeeding facet may reflect both data uncovered from a prior search inquiry and also related data which was not directly requested. The facets enable the user to organize data according to the various thematic identities of basic facts. The geometric solid assists in enabling the user to intuitively grasp how best to retrieve and interrelate data from the database. Subsidiary geometric solids more limited in content than the original geometric solid may be generated and displayed.
US08046703B2

A planning monitor and control system is provided for use with an enterprise computing system. The system generates a user interface planning visual display that includes a list view area containing a list of planning projects predefined to be included in a list of planning projects of interest to a user. At least one of the listed planning projects includes an electronically linked electronic planning document that is created and maintained in an application software program module of the enterprise computing system that is separate from the planning monitor and control system. Planning information is generated in the linked planning document as part of the listed planning project to which the planning document is associated. The planning visual display also includes a planning project details view area in which non-final content from the linked planning document is displayed for the associated planning project included in the list view.
US08046702B2

An attribute storing unit stores a type attribute indicating a type of a selection component for defining how a selection component having a plurality of options is to be displayed and a display attribute indicating a display status of an operation component representing each of the options. A display attribute modifying unit modifies a value of the display attribute according to an operation from a user. When the display attribute of any of the options is changed, a type attribute modifying unit modifies the type attribute of the selection component having the option to a value according to number of the options whose display attributes are set to be displayed.
US08046701B2

A peer-to-peer modular presentation system is disclosed for providing improved presentations. The system includes a plurality of displays. Each display is associated with an input device, processor and input/output port. The plurality of displays may include static or mobile wherein each display is aware of the displays immediately surrounding it or of the displays in a remote site during a teleconference. A propagation direction may be configured for at least two of the displays in the system. Propagation may be initiated for multiple displays by generating a gesture input at one display. The gesture input will cause content to be presented in the particular display, and initiate propagation of content along the configured direction in neighboring displays. Content may be fed to a particular display through a stack or other memory that is associated with the display.
US08046700B2

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for providing information for avoiding specific users of an immersive virtual environment. Generally, a primary user may specify other users to be avoided in a blacklist. The blacklisted users may be specified to be avoided at all times, or may be specified to be avoided in certain situations. In one embodiment, a user may be added to the blacklist during a specific situation, resulting in the characteristics of the situation being automatically stored in the blacklist. Subsequently, the blacklist may be used to determine the locations of the blacklisted users matching the current situation. The primary user may then avoid the locations having the greatest probability of encountering blacklisted users.
US08046699B2

Method, software, and system for efficiently enabling n-way collaborative work using common software over a network of computers. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each participant in a collaborative session starts up a common software application, which includes a collaboration component. This collaboration component is used to establish a common session that includes all interested parties. The collaboration component replicates operations performed on any one instance of said application to all other instances participating in the same session, so the effect is as if all members of the session were sharing a single instance of the application on a single computer. In one aspect, the collaboration component also supports broadcast of audio and video over a computer network, to enable session participants to see and/or hear each other, and further includes other features that support collaborative work.
US08046697B2

A system and method are disclosed for accessing, generating, presenting and manipulating Internet and non-Internet related information, data and content, including information netcast over the Internet. The system is also capable of controlling operatively connected, privately networked devices. A number of graphical user interfaces are utilized to facilitate user access, manipulation and control of information, data and content and networked devices. Some of the graphical user interfaces are time and topic oriented, are customizable by the user, and allow for the manipulation of information, data, content and operatively connected networked devices from the graphical interfaces themselves. The system is preferably enhanced through the use of an intelligent, dynamically updated user profile that is fully integrated with the system.
US08046694B1

Some embodiments of the invention provide a graphical user interface for receiving a server configuration (e.g., receiving a new configuration or a modification to an existing configuration). The graphical user interface (UI) includes several UI control elements for defining components of the server configuration. It also includes a display area for displaying graphical representations of the defined components of the server configuration. Examples of control elements in some embodiments include control elements for adding, deleting, and modifying servers. In some embodiments, at least one control element is displayed when a cursor control operation is performed on the UI. The cursor control operation (e.g., a right hand click operation) in some embodiments opens a display area that shows the control element. In some embodiments, at least two different components in the server configuration correspond to two different layers (e.g., a web server layer and a data storage layer) in the server configuration. The display area of some embodiments includes multiple tiers, where each tier is for displaying graphical representation of components in a particular layer of the server configuration. At least two tiers in some embodiments are displayed simultaneously in the display area.
US08046693B2

User feedback regarding a displayed item, such as a web page, is obtained by providing a first and second transport-control elements, such as back buttons, that have the same effect for moving within or between displayable items but which have different associated semantic information. Upon activation of one of the transport-control elements, not only is the required movement effected, but data is output or stored indicative of the semantic information associated with the activated transport-control element. Thus, for example, the semantic information associated with one transport-control element can relate to a good user experience of the currently-displayed item whilst the semantic information associated with the other transport-control element can relate to a bad user experience of the displayed item. Related server arrangements and page and program code are also envisaged.
US08046692B2

An interactive user interface for displaying mappings between modules of a distributed application and deployment targets in a distributed environment. The user interface represents module items, deployment target items, and correlation items that represent various mappings of module items to deployment target items. In some cases, the manner in which each of these items is displayed may be altered in response to user input. The correlation itself may also be potentially altered in response to user input. Multiple solutions may be displayed in which there are different mappings of modules to target solutions.
US08046691B2

A multimedia system specifies a multimedia experience stream by a narrative definition that defines a narrative presentation having sub-narratives. Each sub-narrative may incorporate multiple streams of different types of media with each stream defining a “path” through content of that media type. The multimedia system directs the presentation of the sub-narratives by interfacing with presentation components for each media type through a custom interface component for that media type that implements a common application interface. When a user pauses a presentation, the user can manually navigate around the content of a stream from the current location at the time of the pause to another location. When the user resumes the presentation, the multimedia system automatically transitions from the navigated-to location to the current location at the time of the pause to resume the presentation from where it was paused.
US08046690B2

A display apparatus which has a display unit includes: a communication unit which communicates with an external source supplying a image signal including a plurality of still images; an image processor which processes the image signal; and a controller which controls the image processor to perform a slide show function sequentially displaying the supplied still images on the display unit in every predetermined display cycle if the still images are supplied from the external source.
US08046688B2

The system and method herein adjust tempo of an audio recording to match audio events to video events or other audio events in an audio-visual recording. The process of fitting an audio segment to a video or audio segment can include receiving a reference indicating a location in a recorded signal where the reference indicates a desired audio tempo change location in the recorded signal and providing a tempo for an audio recording to be at least partially included in the recorded signal. The tempo is provided to fit the audio recording to a section of the recorded signal marked by the reference.
US08046684B2

In an information processing apparatus including a printer driver, when outputting of data generated by executing an application is requested, an output mode selection is performed to select a first output mode in which to output the data generated by the application without data indicating an revise date/time and a second output mode in which to output the data generated by the application together with the data indicating the revise date/time of the data generated by the application. In accordance with the selection, the printer driver controls outputting of data to a printer in the first output mode in which the data generated by the application is output to the printer without the data indicating the revise date/time or in the second output mode in which the data generated by the application is output to the printer together with the data indicating the revise date/time. This allows the revise date/time to be easily reflected in a printed matter produced by the printer.
US08046681B2

Techniques are disclosed herein to automatically learn a template that describes a common structure present in documents in a training set. The structure of the template is compared to the structure of the documents (or at least a part of each document) in the training set, one-by-one, and generalized in response to differences between the template and the document to which the template is currently being compared. If the structure of any particular document is considered too dissimilar from the structure of the template, then the template is not modified. Various generalization operators are added to the template to generalize the template. One such generalization operator is an “OR”, which indicates that only one of “n” sub-trees below the “OR” operator in the template is allowed at the corresponding position in a document.
US08046678B2

A web page is generated by applying a partial evaluation technique. In one embodiment, at design time, a page designer enables a dynamic version of a page specification program to be generated, such as by way of a page customization interface. This dynamic version can be executed during the design process, with page customization choices evaluated in a dynamic manner. The parts of the page specification that can be evaluated to static form at design time are identified, and the program is partially evaluated, with the identified parts transformed to static form. The remaining dynamic parts of the page specification program are executed at request time, resulting in a generation of the page to be provided for display over the network. In general, different parts of a page specification program may be selected for evaluation at different times, and there may be more than two phases of evaluation.
US08046675B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods and computer program products for generating search results comprising web documents with associated expert information. One embodiment of a method for generating such search results includes receiving one or more search queries, selecting one of the one or more search queries, determining one or more categories of web documents responsive to the selected search query and crawling a web graph of linked web documents to identify one or more web documents tagged as within the one or more categories responsive to the selected search query. The method further includes generating a result set of the one or more web documents identified as within the one or more categories responsive to the selected search query, ranking the result set and generating a list of ranked search results responsive to the selected search.
US08046672B2

The present invention plays rich media presentations included in an email, banner ad, and web page. Rich media presentations may be automatically played within an email, banner ad, and web page. When a video banner (Vbanner), video email (Vmail), or video page (Vpage) is included in a requested page, the requesting device receives the necessary rich media presentations, including a virtual player, presentation packages, and media packages, necessary to play the presentation. When the banner ad is downloaded, the rich media presentation begins to automatically play within the page on supported devices. Many options may be set controlling the operation of the Vbanner, Vmail and Vpage. A virtual player is created that includes code to play media files. A presentation package is created that sets the presentation attributes for the multimedia experience. A media package is created that instructs the virtual player what multimedia content to play.
US08046666B2

A method of double detection in a perpendicular magnetic read channel is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating an intermediate signal by performing a first detection on an input signal of the perpendicular read channel, the first detection having a first error rate, (B) generating a statistics signal based on the intermediate signal, the statistics signal conveying noise statistics that depend on data in the input signal and (C) generating an output signal by performing a second detection on the input signal using the noise statistics to reduce a second error rate of the second detection compared with the first error rate, wherein the first detection is independent of the second detection.
US08046664B2

An information processing apparatus is configured to be backed up by a battery so that information in a main memory of the apparatus can be retained when a power supply for the apparatus is stopped. The apparatus stores kernel information in a kernel information table at a time of an initial program loading so that the kernel information stored in the kernel information table can be delivered to a kernel for restarting a program. The program can be started by receiving the kernel information from the kernel information table without retrieving the program from a memory medium or re-generating the kernel information. The apparatus with an operating system that has a relocation function for use in a vehicle can thus have a reduced system startup time.
US08046663B2

A semiconductor memory device includes: a first bank and a second bank; one or more first data input/output pads disposed at one side of the first bank and used in access to data of the first bank; one or more second data input/output pads disposed at one side of the second bank and used in access to data of the second bank; a first cyclic redundancy code (CRC) generation circuit for generating a first CRC using a plurality of data output from the first bank and outputting the generated first CRC through the first data input/output pads; and a second CRC generation circuit for generating a second CRC using a plurality of data output from the second bank and outputting the generated second CRC through the second data input/output pads.
US08046660B2

A product code encoder for non-volatile (NV) memory includes a first encoder that encodes data in codewords in a first dimension that is stored in the NV memory. The product code encoder also includes a second encoder that encodes data in codewords in a second dimension that is stored in the NV memory. A product code codeword is based on the codewords in the first dimension and the codewords in the second dimension.
US08046659B1

A system including a forecasting module, a decoder module, and an error detecting module. The forecasting module is configured to forecast a number of erasures in an input signal, where the erasures include information about errors in the input signal due to a burst error. The decoder module is configured to decode codewords received in the input signal based on the erasures in response to the number of the erasures being less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. The decoder module is configured to not decode the codewords based on the erasures in response to the number of the erasures being greater than the predetermined threshold. The error detecting module is configured to (i) detect the burst error and (ii) decode the codewords in response to the decoder module not decoding the codewords due to the number of the erasures being greater than the predetermined threshold.
US08046658B2

A method is for decoding a succession of blocks of data encoded with an LDPC code. The method includes storing the blocks temporarily and successively in an input memory before decoding the blocks successively in an iterative manner, the input memory having a memory size for storage of at least two blocks, and defining a current indication representative of a threshold number of iterations for decoding a current block. The method includes decoding the current block until a decoding criterion is satisfied or so long as a number of iterations performed for decoding the current block has not reached the current indication while at least one of a first subsequent block and a part of a second subsequent block are stored in the input memory, and updating the current indication for decoding the first subsequent block as a function of the number of iterations performed for decoding the current block.
US08046643B2

An apparatus including a controller configured to present one or more commands and receive one or more responses, a plurality of transport circuits configured to receive one of the commands, present the responses, and generate one or more control signals, and a plurality of memory-controlling circuits, each coupled to a respective one of the plurality of transport circuits and configured to generate one or more memory access signals in response to the one or more control signals, receive one or more memory output signals from a respective memory in response to the one or more memory access signals, and generate the responses in response to the one or more memory output signals. Each respective memory may be independently sized. The controller generally provides a common testing routine for each respective memory that may be adjusted for the size of each respective memory by the memory-controlling circuits.
US08046642B2

A method of providing redundancy in a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM), the method including detecting a defective entry in building block in a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM), configuring a failover logic to redirect a software query toward a spare building block and away from the building block with the defective entry, and avoiding in using the building block with the defective entry.
US08046641B2

In response to a hypervisor page fault for memory that is not resident in a shared memory pool, an I/O paging request is sent to an external storage paging space. In response to a paging service partition encountering an I/O paging error, a paging failure indication is sent to the hypervisor. A simulated machine check interrupt instruction is sent from the hypervisor to the shared memory partition and a machine check handler obtains control. The machine check handler performs data analysis utilizing an error log in an attempt to isolate the I/O paging error to a process or a set of processes in the shared memory partition. The process or set of processes associated with the I/O paging error, or the shared memory partition itself, may be terminated. Finally, the shared memory partition may clear or initialize the page associated with the I/O paging error.
US08046627B2

Computer systems forming the computer system group each have a plurality of servers, a plurality of I/O devices, a plurality of servers, and one or more I/O switches coupled to the plurality of I/O devices, and it is possible to change the combination of the servers and I/O devices in each of the computer systems. If a fault has occurred in one of the current servers, firstly, it is judged whether or not there exists a spare server capable of taking over processing in a computer system including the server which has generated the fault. If the judgment result is negative, then a server switching process is carried out by searching another computer system capable of constructing a particular combination corresponding to the combination of the faulty server and the I/O devices allocated thereto.
US08046621B2

Aspects of a method and system for generation of signals up to extremely high frequency using a delay block are provided. In this regard, a first signal may be delayed, via at least a portion of a plurality of delay elements and via a variable capacitance, to generate a second signal that is 90° out of phase relative to the first signal. Additionally, the first signal and second signal may be mixed to generate a third signal, wherein a frequency of the third signal is twice a frequency of said first signal. The portion of the delay elements utilized for delaying the signal may be controlled via one or more switching elements. In this regard, one of the plurality of delay elements may be selected to output the second signal. Moreover, the portion of the delay elements utilized for delaying the signal may be programmably controlled.
US08046613B2

A power mode designating unit of a main system outputs an operation mode designating signal to a sub system. Upon shifting from the normal operation mode to the power-saving mode, a control unit of the sub system outputs a power-saving mode shift enable signal indicating that shifting to the power-saving mode is possible to a power control unit of the sub system. When the operation mode designating signal designates the power-saving mode and the power-saving mode shift enable signal indicates that shifting to the power-saving mode is possible, the power control unit supplies a power-saving mode voltage to the control unit.
US08046603B2

A network real-time electricity monitoring system has at least one power line communicating and AC power monitoring device, a power line network device and a monitoring computer. The power line communicating and AC power monitoring device is connected to a power line of a corresponding target device to retrieve and transform statuses of an AC power in the power line into network packets and sends the network packets out through the power line. The power line network device is connected to the power line to retrieve the network packets and sends the network packets to a local monitoring computer or a remote monitoring computer based on Internet protocol address of the monitoring computer installed in the power line network device.
US08046600B2

A plurality of power budgets are sent to a corresponding plurality of power consumers by a power management point, wherein a total power budget managed by the power management point includes a sum of the plurality of power budgets and an available power budget not assigned to the plurality of power consumers. An additional power request having a power increase amount is received from a first power consumer of the plurality of power consumers. The additional power request is approved when the power increase amount does not exceed the available power budget. The available power budget is decreased by the power increase amount. An approval of the additional power request is sent to the first power consumer.
US08046596B2

An authentication device comprises a processor having a reset input, a trigger source coupled to the reset input of the processor, and interface circuitry for outputting codes generated by the processor. The trigger source may comprise, for example, a trigger button having an associated switch that when actuated supplies a reset to the reset input. The processor is configured to analyze a given reset applied to the reset input to determine if the reset is an inadvertent reset or a reset generated by the trigger source. The processor generates a code responsive to the reset if the reset is determined to be a reset generated by the trigger source. The code may be supplied to a host device which communicates the code to an authentication server for authentication.
US08046595B2

A method and apparatus to control an operating clock frequency of a hard disk drive. The method includes analyzing a command workload, and changing the operating clock frequency of the hard disk drive based on an analysis result. Alternatively, the method includes measuring a time taken to receive a predetermined number of write/read commands and controlling the operating clock frequency of the hard disk drive based on a result of a comparison of the measured time with at least one reference value. An operating clock frequency control block included in the hard disk drive executes the method.
US08046586B1

A method and system are implemented for verifying connection status information associated with a specific display attachment location. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method, which includes the steps of receiving a first signature representative of a first set of connection states tracked by a graphics subsystem associated with the display attachment location, authenticating whether the integrity of a content path including the display attachment location is maintained based on the first signature, and deciding whether to continue sending the content to the display attachment location so that requirements associated with protecting the content are satisfied.
US08046585B2

A method and apparatus for verifying authenticity of a digital signature for an attribute value. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a message including an attribute value of an attribute from a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) repository entry and a digital signature, and verifying that the digital signature authenticates the attribute value.
US08046584B2

Method for checking the signature of a message. The message, signature, and a certificate are sent by a signer having a public key to a recipient having a message storage device. The certificate is checked by a protected device connected to the message storage device and a checking result data element is sent for checking to a display device connected to the protected device. When the certificate is verified, a reduction of the message is calculated in the protected device and the message is recopied onto the display device. The signature is decrypted using the public key in the protected device, and the decrypted signature is compared with the reduction carried out. According to the comparison, a message is sent from the protected device to the display device indicating whether the signature conforms or does not conform to the message or to the public key of the signer put forward.
US08046581B2

A wireless telephone and messaging system provides Secure Immediate Wireless Access (SIWA) to wireless telephones onto existing wireless networks. The SIWA protocol uses existing wireless network messaging to exchange information between wireless devices and a network server, referred to herein as an Intelligent Service Manager (ISM). The ISM acts as a gateway between wireless devices and wireless service provider, and provides the wireless devices with an immediate limited or unlimited access to the wireless network. The ISM can also deny access to the wireless network from unauthorized wireless devices.
US08046577B2

A protocol framework for a Secure IP Access (SIA) method, and supporting components deployed on IP hosts and IP networks. Using this method, an IP host can establish a secure data channel within an IP network over an insecure shared link while requesting IP address and networking configuration parameters from the IP network. A system administrator can implement strong access control against various attacks that an edge IP network may have to face, such as a denial-of-service attack that exhausts assignable IP addresses. This is a lightweight, scalable, and backward-compatible solution that can improve security performance for public and corporate LANs having open access such as wireless access points and Ethernet jacks.
US08046576B2

A computer system is partitioned during a pre-boot phase of the computer system between a first partition and a second partition, wherein the first partition to include a first processing unit and the second partition to include a second processing unit. An Input/Output (I/O) operating system is booted on the first partition. A general purpose operating system is booted on the second partition. Network transactions are issued by the general purpose operating system to be performed by the I/O operating system. The network transactions are performed by the I/O operating system.
US08046571B1

Apparatus having corresponding methods and computer programs comprise: a processor; a test interface that is in communication with the processor only when the test interface is enabled; a first one-time-programmable (OTP) memory; and a non-volatile memory to store boot code for the processor, wherein when the processor is booted, the boot code causes the processor to test the first OTP memory; wherein the boot code causes the processor to enable the test interface when the first OTP memory has not been programmed; and wherein the boot code causes the processor to disable the test interface when the first OTP memory has been programmed.
US08046566B2

A method for reducing the power consumption of a register file of a microprocessor supporting simultaneous multithreading (SMT) is disclosed. Mapping logic and associated table entries monitor a total number of processing threads currently executing in the processor and signal control logic to disable specific register file entries not required for currently executing or pending instruction threads or register file entries not meeting a minimum access threshold using a least recently used algorithm (LRU). The register file utilization is controlled such that a register file address range selected for deactivation is not assigned for pending or future instruction threads. One or more power saving techniques are then applied to disabled register files to reduce overall power dissipation in the system.
US08046563B1

An integrated circuit includes a plurality of processor core. Processing instructions in the integrated circuit includes: managing a plurality of sets of processor cores, each set including one or more processor cores assigned to a function associated with executing instructions; and reconfiguring the number of processor cores assigned to at least one of the sets during execution based on characteristics associated with executing the instructions.
US08046559B2

A method, device, and system are disclosed. In one embodiment the method includes grouping multiple memory requests into multiple of memory rank queues. Each rank queue contains the memory requests that target addresses within the corresponding memory rank. The method also schedules a minimum burst number of memory requests within one of the memory rank queues to be serviced when the burst number has been reached in the one of the plurality of memory rank queues. Finally, if a memory request exceeds an aging threshold, then that memory request will be serviced.
US08046558B2

A file system that permits predictable accesses to file data stored on devices that may have a variable access latency dependent on the physical location of the file on the physical storage device. A variety of features that guarantee timely, real-time response to I/O file system requests that specify deadlines or other alternative required quality-of-service parameters. The file system addresses needs to accommodate the file systems of storage devices such as disks that have an access time dependant on the physical location of the data within the storage device. A two-phase, deadline-driven scheduler considers the impact of disk seek time on overall response times. Non real-time file operations may be preempted. Files may be preallocated to help avoid access delay caused by non-contiguity. Disk buffers may also be preallocated to improve real-time file system performance.
US08046534B2

Embodiments include methods, apparatus, and systems for managing snapshots in storage systems. One method includes logically linking a plurality of snapshots to a logical disk in a storage network; and splitting the snapshots from the logical disk to form a snapshot tree that includes the snapshots split from the logical disk.
US08046533B2

Disclosed herein is an improved sector remapping method that maps logical sectors into physical sectors in storage disks such as SATA (Serial ATA) drives without reducing either storage capacity or I/O performance efficiency. Under this sector remapping method, logical sectors of data can be written into the physical sectors of a storage device through control frames having padded data or information associated with the padded data, as well as data frames having real data to be stored. With the padded data to be added to the real data, the frames provide multiple physical sectors to be transmitted into the storage device in a single write operation. The sector remapping method can be implemented in a storage bridge coupled to a storage device such as SATA drives.
US08046528B2

A data writing method for a block of a multi level cell NAND flash memory including upper page addresses and lower page addresses is provided, wherein a writing speed at the lower page addresses is higher than that at the upper page addresses. The data writing method includes receiving a writing command and determining whether an address to be written with new data in the writing command is the upper page address of the block. The method also includes copying old data previously recorded on the lower page addresses of the block as an old data backup when the address to be written in the writing command is the upper page address of the block and then writing the new data to the address to be written. Thus, old data may be protected while writing data to the upper page address of the multi level cell NAND flash memory.
US08046525B2

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device for an efficient program of multilevel data includes a memory cell array having a plurality of banks and a cache block corresponding to each of the plurality of banks. The cache block has a predetermined data storage capacity. A page buffer is included which corresponds to each of the plurality of banks. A programming circuit programs all of the plurality of banks except a last of said banks with page data. The page data is loaded through each page buffer and programmed into each cache block such that when page data for the last bank is loaded into the page buffer, the loaded page data and the page data programmed into the respective cache blocks are programmed into respective corresponding banks. Accordingly, the time taken in programming can be reduced without increasing a unit of program in a multilevel flash memory, thereby improving performance in a multilevel program of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
US08046516B2

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a switch device to be coupled between a first semiconductor component and a processor node by interconnects of a communication protocol that provides for cache coherent transactions and non-cache coherent transactions. The switch device includes logic to handle cache coherent transactions from the first semiconductor component to the processor node, while the first semiconductor component does not include such logic. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08046514B2

A system and method of broadcasting data to multiple targets across a system bus, such as the peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus, that does not normally support broadcast transfers, in which one target responds to the bus transaction and the remaining targets listen in on the bus transaction to receive data from the system bus. The responding target stalls the bus transaction when any of the listening targets communicate to the responding target that they are temporarily unable to accept the data on the bus.
US08046506B2

FIFO systems and operating method thereof are provided to transfer data between a first device and a second device. In the FIFO system, a memory controller serves as an interface to access a memory device for storage of the data, and a CPU processes instructions to control the data transfer. Two data FIFOs serve as data buffers for data transactions to and from the first and second devices, and two status FIFOs serve as an instruction buffers for status transactions between the first, second devices and the CPU. A data controller connects the memory controller and the two data FIFOs for direct data delivery therebetween.
US08046505B2

A memory controller including an address incrementer and a page crossing detect logic. The address incrementer may be configured to generate a next address in a burst from a current address in the burst. The page crossing detect logic may be configured to determine whether the burst will cross a memory page boundary based on the current address and the next address. The memory controller may be configured to automatically split bursts crossing page boundaries.
US08046504B2

A content-aware digital media storage device includes a host device interface for exchanging digital information with a host device, a memory array for storing digital information received from the host device via the host interface, a peripheral module configured to communicate the digital information stored in the memory array to a receiver located remote from the digital media storage device, and a controller communicatively coupled to the host device interface, the memory array and the peripheral module and configured to interpret directory information associated with the digital information stored in the memory array so as to selectively access said digital information and communicate such accessed digital information to the peripheral module for transmission to the remote receiver. Digital images stored in the memory array may be transmitted to a remote host via a wireless network access point with which the peripheral module of the storage device is associated.
US08046499B2

In a method for transmitting data over a fieldbus of process automation technology with a field device in which a first application program for a first fieldbus protocol runs, the data of a second application program for a second transmission protocol are mapped onto the first fieldbus protocol and transmitted as fieldbus telegrams.
US08046490B1

A method of transmitting data via a network of computers comprises receiving, at a first node of the network and from a second node of the network, first suggested routing information to a destination node, where the first suggested routing information defines at least one node through which data will be transmitted to the destination node. First data is sent to the destination node via the first suggested routing information, and a processor associated with the first node determines whether the first data was received at the destination node. Further second data may be received at the first node of the network, where the second data is intended to be sent to the destination node, and the second data may be sent to the destination via the first suggested routing information depending on the determination of whether the first data was received at the destination.
US08046488B2

Systems and methods of managing a link provide for receiving a remote width capability during a link initialization, the remote width capability corresponding to a remote port. A link between a local port and the remote port is operated at a plurality of link widths in accordance with the remote width capability.
US08046485B2

A method and system for implementing URL scheme proxies. Embodiments of the invention allow URL schemes that are not natively supported by a computer to be supported via proxy, e.g., using a URL scheme that is native to the computer to forward the non-native transport. More specifically, embodiments of the invention allow a first computer system to support a first URL scheme by encapsulating its transport information into another URL scheme that is natively supported by the first computer. The encapsulated information is then forwarded to a second computer system or server which can provide support for the first URL scheme transport. For instance, if the first computer supports http but does not support ftp, then an ftp transport can be encapsulated inside an http transport and then forwarded to an ftp server which can then extract and process the ftp transport. The ftp response can be handled in an analogous fashion. The invention increases the native URL scheme capabilities of a computer system by proxy. In one embodiment, a system registry is used in order to determine which helper code to use for a particular URL scheme. The selection of helper code and whether native or proxy support is selected are tasks that are transparent to the application. The invention can allow a device with no Internet access to act, transparently, as if it has Internet access.
US08046479B2

A method of managing a unicast-based media session is disclosed. A user terminal having access to channel identifiers of media channels available at a media server compiles a SIP-based channel request comprising a channel identifier of one of the available media channels and a port identifier of at least one media input port of the terminal. This message is sent to a network node for initiating delivery of media data of selected media channel to the announced media input port. The SIP-based data signaling also allows switching between unicast-based media channels and switching between unicast-bast and multicast/broadcast-based media channels during the ongoing media session.
US08046478B1

A presentation system and method is disclosed for presenting a presentation via a communications network. The presentation system includes one or more client nodes structured to receive presentation data. One or more leader stations of the presentation is structured to control content of the presentation data at the one or more client nodes, and one or more content server sites is structured to provide the presentation data to the one or more client nodes. The presentation system further includes one or more content managers structured to manage the delivery of the presentation data to the one or more content server sites and verify that the presentation data is operable to being presented at the one or more client nodes.
US08046473B2

Sessions states within virtual machine (VM) environments are maintained. Each VM environment hosts a guest operating system (OS) and one or more application programs running. The guest OS and the application computer programs of each VM environment constitute a session. A connection broker maintains a state machine as to states of the sessions and permits transitions among the states in response to messages, commands, and internal decisions. Different types of agents may send the messages, and the commands. The states of the sessions may include a pending state and a number of other states. The pending state is an interim state that indicates a session is being transitioned from one of the other states to another of the other states. These other states may include an offline state, an online-down state, an online-up state, a suspended state, an active state, an idle state, a disconnected state, and a failed state.
US08046468B2

Methods and systems for allocating resources in a virtual desktop resource environment are provided. A method includes making a prediction on the future demand for processes running on a distributed environment with several hosts. The prediction is based on the process demand history and includes the removal of historic process demand glitches. Further, the prediction is used to perform a cost and benefit analysis for moving a candidate process from one host to another, and the candidate process is moved to a different host when the cost and benefit analysis recommends such move. In another embodiment, the predictions on future process demand are used for distributed power management by putting hosts in stand-by mode when the overall demand decreases or by adding hosts to the distributed environment when the load increases.
US08046461B2

Web services may be provided by creating an electronic record of a contract for a service provider to provide web services meeting a web service category definition at a web services hub of a service domain, and providing a web service to a service requestor from the service domain responsive to the electronic record of the contract. A plurality of ports operative to provide web services meeting the service category definition may be identified at the web service hub, and the web service may be provided to the service requester responsive to identification of the ports. For example, a plurality of ports may be identified by polling at least one web services node subordinate to the web services hub to identify at least one service provided by the node, and updating a description of a service category, e.g., a WSDL document, responsive to the polling. A plurality of levels of web services nodes may be polled using a coordinated polling interval scheme to create an updated service view for the service hub.
US08046460B1

According to one embodiment, a server is automatically deployed using a pre-provisioned logical volume LV. A first world wide name WWN1 is associated 320 with a logical volume LV1 associated with a disk array controller 260. A second world wide name WWN1, which is assigned to a server S1, is received 335 at the disk array controller 260. If 340 the first world wide name WWN1 is the same as the second world wide name WWN1, the server S1 is enabled 350 to access the logical volume LV1. The first and second world wide names are not required to be assigned to any server S1, S2 at the time that the first world wide name is associated with the logical volume.
US08046459B2

Method, device and system of obtaining the network information using the device as the service credential, which use the device without power supply and display, in which presetting the configuration files containing the information connected to the network, after connecting the device with the online data process device, establishing the information interacting channel between the data process device and the information server to obtain, download the related information. The device as the service credential can be used to store the information, or display, print and output the special network service information by the data process device, and the device can be used as the service object of the special information network and take the voucher function of service.
US08046458B2

A method and system for balancing the load of computer resources among a plurality of computers having consumers consuming the resources is disclosed. After defining the lower threshold of the consumption level of the resources and obtaining the consumption level of the resources for each of the consumers and for each of said computers, the consumption level for each of the computers is compared during a period with its associated lower threshold. Whenever a computer having a consumption level of the resources higher than the lower threshold is identified, a new layout of computer resources for each of the consumers is determined. Consumers are then shifted from their current location in the computer to a corresponding location in another computer according to the layout, so that the consumption level of the resource(s) for a computer may be reduced.
US08046455B2

A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: acquiring subjective user state data including at least a first subjective user state and a second subjective user state; acquiring objective context data including at least a first context data indicative of a first objective occurrence associated with a user and a second context data indicative of a second objective occurrence associated with the user; and correlating the subjective user state data with the objective context data. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US08046454B2

Techniques for identifying potential communication uses of various systems are disclosed. Identifying potential communication uses of a computing system can improve the manner in which the computing system is used by allowing more intelligent decisions and better choices to be made regarding its communication use. By way of example, communication applications (or tasks or services) that are likely (or more likely) to be used by a person in a particular situation can be identified as potential communication use of a particular device. Such potential uses can, for example, be made more assessable (or more readily available) and/or effectively recommended (or automatically initiated), thereby allowing a person to more conveniently use the device. By way of example, identifying communication applications or tasks that are likely to be used by a person in a particular situation for various reasons (e.g., preferences and/or habits of a person in a particular situation) as potential communication use of a system (e.g., computing and/or communication device) allows making the communications applications, tasks, or services more assessable and/or effectively recommending them for use in a particular situation.
US08046452B2

Communication between a network device in a first network and a network device in a second network is provided, where the first network operates in accordance with a first communication protocol and the second network operates in accordance with a second communication protocol. An alias is assigned to a target network device in the first network, the alias being compatible with the communication protocol of the second network The assigned alias is translated to an address for a target network device, the translated address being compatible with the communication protocol of the first network. Apparatus, for assigning the alias and for translating it are separately addressable in one or both of the networks, and the assigned alias corresponds to an address of the translating apparatus, such that, when a network device in the second network sends one or more communication(s) using an address including the assigned alias, each communication is routed to the translator, whereupon the translator translates the alias into the address of the target network device in the first network and sends the communication(s) into the first network.
US08046450B1

Network ports of a computer system are associated with network ports of a network device. Network ports of the computer system are configured to operate as part of a switch. A discovery agent discovers network ports of the network device to which the network ports of the computer system are coupled. Associations are created between the network ports of the computer system and the network ports of the network device.
US08046449B2

A system includes a contents management server that manages the locations of contents, a contents server that manages contents, a client terminal that receives or stores contents, and a network. The client terminal sends a contents sending request message to the contents management server. The contents management server, which has received the request from the client terminal, detects the network to which the client terminal belongs, instructs the contents server, which manages the network, to stream the contents. After that, the contents management server checks if there is a client terminal related to the client terminal that has sent the contents sending request. If there is a related client terminal, the contents management server instructs the contents server, which manages a network to which the related terminal belongs, to store the contents.
US08046445B2

A system for managing networks includes a gateway capable of receiving a first TARP request from a requesting node and generating a second TARP request based on the first TARP request. The second TARP request includes an NSAP address of the gateway. The gateway is further capable of transmitting the second TARP request to a destination node. The gateway is also capable of receiving a first TARP response from the destination node and generating a second TARP response based on the first TARP response. The second TARP response includes the NSAP address of the gateway. The gateway is further capable of transmitting the second TARP response to the requesting node.
US08046443B2

A method and apparatus for imaging a network monitor. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving information concerning a customer network to be monitored by a network monitor, and selecting a bootable image for the network monitor using the network information. The bootable image contains network monitoring software and an operating system, and can be booted on any computing device of the customer network. The method further includes providing the bootable image of the network monitor to a requester, and then receiving a fixed IP address of the network monitor from a computing device on the customer network that is designated to host the network monitor.
US08046438B2

An improved system and method for supporting web system services is provided for storing data and context of client applications on the web. A client application may include a web system services interface for invoking web system services to support web applications to operate over the web using different devices that may store data and context of web applications as a web application document onto a web server. A web application document may be represented by components that may include view information, content, and context information. The application may also include a web system services user interface for providing a graphical user interface for a user to invoke web system services that may include a new document system service, a store document system service, and a restore document system service. A schema for context scope may be implemented for collecting context information relevant to the web application document.
US08046434B2

In an AV-data transfer system, AV data stored in a RAID embedded in an AV server is supplied to a client personal computer connected to a network such as the Internet or an intranet by way of the network, and AV data output by the client personal computer is transmitted to the AV server through the network to be stored in the RAID. The AV server makes accesses to the RAID to write and read out data into and from the RAID. In addition to the AV server, the AV-data transfer system also includes another personal computer for exchanging AV data with the client personal computer and receiving a variety of commands from the client personal computer by way of the network in accordance with an FTP (File Transfer Protocol). As a result, it is possible to fast handle access requests made by a larger number of client personal computers.
US08046433B2

In a technique for enhancing discoverability and increasing usage of a web browser in a mobile device on a wireless network, a server system coupled to the wireless network receives a signal representing initiation of a voice call from the mobile device. In response, the server system performs a lookup to determine whether a website is associated with the telephone number being called. If a website is associated with the telephone number being called and the mobile device has the capability to access and display the website, the server system sends an Alert to the mobile device, causing the mobile device to notify its user about the website. The user may then input a selection to either access the website instead of completing the call or to proceed with the voice call.
US08046431B2

A ZIGBEE® network system and a method for assigning an Internet Protocol (IP) address in a ZIGBEE® network system are provided. The ZIGBEE® network system includes a client device for joining a ZIGBEE® network and being assigned an IP address used for transmitting and receiving data; a server device for assigning the IP address to the client device; and a ZIGBEE® coordinator for forming the ZIGBEE® network, storing server profile information for each server device that has joined the formed ZIGBEE® network, receiving client profile information for the client device from the client device, and determining a server device that will assign an IP address to the client device, using the received client profile information.
US08046425B1

Memory demands of large-memory applications continue to remain one step ahead of the improvements in DRAM capacities of commodity systems. Performance of such applications degrades rapidly once the system hits the physical memory limit and starts paging to the local disk. A distributed network-based virtual memory scheme is provided which treats remote memory as another level in the memory hierarchy between very fast local memory and very slow local disks. Performance over gigabit Ethernet shows significant performance gains over local disk. Large memory applications may access potentially unlimited network memory resources without requiring any application or operating system code modifications, relinkling or recompilation. A preferred embodiment employs kernel-level driver software.
US08046424B2

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to synchronization utilizing one or more optimizations through the utilization of metadata. For several embodiments of the present invention, one method for optimizing synchronization is to reduce the overhead required for said synchronization by having each peer only tracking changes for itself and other peers within its change community (or communities) (a.k.a., “Intra-Community-Only Change Tracking Optimization”). For certain embodiments of the present invention, another method for optimizing synchronization is to not create synchronization overhead until required. For numerous embodiments of the present invention, yet another method for optimizing synchronization is to minimize redundant use of a partner's unique global ID—a large and cumbersome number—and to instead maintain a table that cross-references each partner (and its unique global ID) with a smaller and much less cumbersome partner key.
US08046418B1

Techniques are described for providing reminders for electronic communications. For instance, response patterns of a user are determined by communication type based on monitoring past response behavior of the user and the response pattern data is stored for the user by communication type. After storing the response pattern data for the user by communication type, a particular communication that is for the user and that is initiated by a first sender is received. A type of the particular communication is determined and response pattern data associated with the determined type of the particular communication is accessed. A response reminder time for the particular communication is set based on the accessed response pattern data associated with the determined type of the particular communication.
US08046415B2

A system and method that effectuates dynamic mass mail throttling utilizing an upstream network device. The system and method includes intercepting messages from sending mail server, determining whether the message relates to mass mailing advertising emails, and based the determination automatically and dynamically directing upstream network devices to gradually retard communications between the sending mail server and the upstream network devices.
US08046408B2

Virtual reality system facilitating the setup and conduction of a virtual reality episode by receiving virtual reality data captured by virtual reality environment (VRE) user equipment, and transmitting the virtual reality data via a network to other virtual reality components capable of presenting the virtual reality data. The setup and conduction of the virtual reality episode occurs in real-time, such that a user can participate in an episode that represents events presently occurring in an environment. The VRE user equipment includes wireless devices such that one or more mobile users at a plurality of locations may simultaneously participate in a virtual reality episode.
US08046402B2

A signal processing method and apparatus reducing distortion using divided signals differing in only amplitude by weighting an input signal by first weights ki (i=1 to 4) to obtain divided signals, performing the same signal processing f(x) on the divided signals, weighting the signal processed divided signals by second weights l1 (i=1 to 4), and adding the divided signals Vout1 to Vout4 weighted by the second weights. The first weights are k1=t, k2=−t, k3=1, k4=−1, while the second weights are l1=−1, l2=1, l3=t3, l4=−t3. Here, t=b/a (where a and b are different positive integers).
US08046401B2

A multiplier is able to multiply an input data value by a selected constant value in CSD form. The selected constant value has a plurality of pairs of bits, and the multiplier includes multiplexers, each controlled by a respective pair of bits of the selected constant value. Each of the multiplexers has a plurality of inputs, and is connected to receive the input data value, the inverse of the input data value, and all zeros on said inputs, and it is controlled such that it outputs either the input data value, the inverse of the input data value, or all zeros, depending on the values of the respective pair of bits of the selected constant value. Variable shift blocks are each connected to receive an input from a respective one of said multiplexers, and are each adapted to shift their received input by a first bit shift value or a second bit shift value, depending on the values of the respective pair of bits of the selected constant value, wherein the first bit shift value and the second bit shift value differ by 1. The multiplier also includes combination circuitry, for receiving the outputs from the plurality of shift blocks, and for combining the outputs from the plurality of shift blocks and applying further bit shifts, to form an output value equal to the result of multiplying the input data value by the selected constant value.
US08046395B2

A normalization processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can calculate all of normalization processing output values, that is, the output value of the size of a region, the output value of the lowest value in the region, the output value of the number of non-output bits, and an output bit string, at the same time using a shift amount and the prefix and suffix of the output bit string. The shift amount is calculated using an input value of the size of the region. The prefix and the suffix are calculated using an input value of the lowest value in the region and an input value of the number of non-output bits.
US08046392B2

Before transferring a file, a CPU executes the following processing based on a transfer processing program: obtaining the directory tree structure of a transfer-source storage device; dividing the directory tree into directory trees so that each divided directory tree is structured within the full path length of a directory tree that can be handled by a transfer-destination storage device; associating the divided directory trees with each other; and then storing the associated directory trees in a volume of the transfer-destination storage device.
US08046391B2

Decrease in the write speed is prevented even when overwriting the entire file. When a NAS apparatus receives a file size change request from a computer as an access request source for changing the size of a file, the NAS apparatus creates a new file related to the file in a file system with a processing performance that is higher than a file system containing the file as an entity of that file, associates the new file and the foregoing file, deletes the file on the condition that the new file and the file has been associated, and executes data write processing of writing data into the new file on the condition of subsequently receiving a data write request from the access request source for writing data into the file.
US08046390B2

A particular method includes searching a database associated with a content provider. The database includes content items available from the content provider as well as content items that are not available from the content provider. The database is searched based on a search query received from a set-top box to generate a list of content items. The list of content items includes at least one entry corresponding to a particular content item that is unavailable and includes a feedback control. The method further includes receiving a request that the content provider make the particular content item available and automatically determining to acquire rights to provide access to the particular content item based at least in part on the request.
US08046381B2

A communication network is described that allows legacy devices to access an IMS network. The communication network includes a switching system, an IMS network, and a non-IMS network. The switching system includes a subscriber database that is pre-provisioned with identities of IMS subscribers using legacy devices. When in operation, a calling party places a call through a legacy device. The switching system receives the call and accesses the subscriber database based on a calling party identifier (e.g., a phone number, URL, etc) to determine if the calling party is an IMS subscriber. If the calling party is an IMS subscriber, then the switching system routes the call to the IMS network. If the calling party is not an IMS subscriber, then the switching system routes the call to the non-IMS network.
US08046375B2

A user query has values for attributes that specify features of a desired item is received and processed in a computer system in a network. A database is searched for an item having attribute values that satisfy at least a subset of the values for attributes from the user query. Once an item is found in the database, a location where the item will be supplied along with a set of suppliers for the item in proximity to the location is determined.
US08046373B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for performing structured parallel data intensive computations. A SQL-FCF framework that defines a SQL construct based interface for performing the computations is provided. The computations within an application are coded as table valued functions (TVFs). Data for the application is partitioned into data partitions to co-locate and load balance the data partitions and corresponding computations. The TVFs are invoked and applied to corresponding ones of the data partitions in a structured order defined by function control forms (FCF).
US08046371B2

A system may identify a first document associated with a geographic location within a geographical area and identify a second document associated with a geographic location outside the geographical area. The system may also assign a first score to the first document based on a first scoring function and assign a second score to the second document based on a second scoring function.
US08046362B2

Disclosed is a system for, and method of, calculating parameters used to determine whether records and entity representations should be linked. The system and method use a symmetric and reflexive function to allow for linking records and entity representations whose field values differ. The system and method apply iterative techniques such that parameters from each linking iteration are used in the next linking iteration. The system and method need no human interaction in order to calibrate and utilize record matching formulas used for the linking decisions.
US08046353B2

Techniques for searching a hierarchical database and an unstructured database with a single search query are described herein. In one embodiment, a single search query is received that has syntax identifying an unstructured search string within a structured search query to automatically cause a search of the inverted index and use of the result to automatically search the hierarchical database. The unstructured search string is extracted from the single search query and an inverted index is searched according to the unstructured search string, wherein the inverted index includes virtual documents created from data stored in the hierarchical database, wherein each virtual document includes a unique identifier from the hierarchical database used to designate the data in the hierarchical database from which that virtual document was created, wherein a result of the inverted index search includes the unique identifiers of the virtual documents that meet the search. For each of the unique identifiers in the result, a separate search query is generated from the single search query by replacing the unstructured search string in the structured search query with that unique identifier and the hierarchical database is searched according to the separate search query. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08046351B2

A method and system for access to information using search engines is provided. A search engine is selected for executing a query based on search engine characteristic information and the query. The characteristic information for each search engine includes information representing searching capabilities of each search engine. Selecting a search engine further involves determining a similarity between the query and the characteristic information for each search engine, and selecting a search engine based on the similarities such that a search engine with the highest similarity may be selected for executing the query and returning search results.
US08046344B2

An automatic search method and a video apparatus using the method are provided. According to the automatic search method, the video apparatus deletes characters satisfying specific conditions from additional information which is received, and generates keywords. Therefore, a user may acquire search results without needing to directly input keywords, and it is possible to prevent undesired information from being displayed as a search result.
US08046327B2

A method of and system for collecting, storing, and retrieving data in a data base management system. The database management system includes a master database server (4), at least one workgroup server (315), and a plurality of workgroup user clients (310). The workgroup server (315) is interposed between the master database server (4) and said workgroup user clients (310). The method creating a transaction in a local database resident on one of the workgroup user clients (310), entering the transaction into a transaction log resident on the workgroup user client (310), and creating a transaction file corresponding to the transaction in an outbox of said workgroup user client (310). Next, the transaction file is copied to an inbox identified to the workgroup user client (310) and updating the transaction file into a workgroup database (305) resident on the workgroup server (315). The workgroup database (305) includes a transaction log.
US08046322B2

A method of mining data to discover activity patterns within the data is described. The method includes receiving data to be mined from at least one data source, determining which of a number of specified interests and constraints are associated with the mining process, selecting corresponding mining agents that combine search algorithms with propagators from the specified constraints, and finding any activity patterns that meet the specified interests and constraints.
US08046316B2

The cyclic combinatorial method and system includes an optimizing programming method embodied in a computing machine in order to provide the capability to solve cyclic optimization problems. The method can be used to solve optimization problems having cyclic 0-1 matrices, such as network problems and cyclic workforce scheduling. The method identifies cyclically distinct solutions by enumerating cyclically distinct combinations of basic dual variables. The method can determine how many cyclically distinct combinations of m (m≦n) objects can be selected, given n cyclic objects. The method integrates partition and cyclic permutation operations in order to generate cyclically distinct selections (solutions). After cyclically enumerating all dual solutions, rules are described for recognizing the set of dominant solutions. A class of problems, which includes cyclic labor scheduling, can be efficiently solved using the cyclic combinatorial method and system.
US08046315B2

The present invention provides a language, method and system to formulate and evaluate relational Bayesian networks in an e-commerce environment. The present invention employs a specific language for constructing synthetic variables used to predict events in the Bayesian networks. The present system and language allow for efficient and accurate representation, inference, and discovery of the synthetic variables used to model web visitor behavior.
US08046314B2

The invention relates to a method for performing an oilfield operation. The method steps include obtaining oilfield data sets associated with oilfield entities, generating a stochastic database from the oilfield data sets based on an artificial neural network of the oilfield data sets, screening the oilfield data sets to identify candidates from the oilfield entities, wherein the screening is based on the stochastic database, performing a detail evaluation of each candidates, selecting an oilfield entity from the candidates based on the detail evaluation, and performing the oilfield operation for the selected oilfield entity.
US08046308B2

A method of processing postal items in which an image is formed of each item, the image including address information (1), and on the basis of the image of the item and a reference address base (6), OCR is used to perform automatic recognition of the destination address information (8, 9), is characterized in that during automatic recognition of destination address information, use is made (10) of a database (11) in which there are organized ordered lists of delivery points for delivery rounds in such a manner as to take account of an estimated extra cost for destination error associated with processing the item should the item be delivered to an erroneous delivery point.
US08046307B2

A method, system, and computer-readable medium for using competency-related information for individuals to provide a variety of benefits is described. In some situations, competency-related information is used to assist members of an organization in managing future career paths within the organization. An organization member can specify a starting position type and a target future position type, and one or more possible career paths leading from the starting position type to the target future position type (possibly through one or more intermediate position types) are identified. Competency gaps for the member relative to the position types along the career path can be identified, and actions to reduce those competency gaps can be identified for possible inclusion in a future action plan for the member.
US08046305B1

A method and apparatus for processing credit card transactions over the Internet includes an application program interface (API) that converts a simple ASCII transaction message from the merchant to the message spec required by the transaction processor. The API also encrypts the transaction message so that the transaction is secure over the Internet and manages the message traffic between the merchant and transaction processor. In a second preferred embodiment, a merchant sends a simple ASCII transaction message via a SSL (secure sockets layer) Internet connection. In preferred embodiments, redundant connections are set up between the merchant and the transaction processor, allowing a transaction to continue being processed if one of the connections fails.
US08046304B2

In a franking method and a mail transport system, a franking image is calculated before generation thereof on a mail piece. The franking image includes a franking image key, and for each new franking image, the franking image key therefor is derived from a predecessor franking image key according to a first crypto-algorithm. An integrity check code is also generated based on the new franking image key, a key generation number, an apparatus identifier of the franking device, and a second crypto-algorithm. The franking image includes at least the device identifier, the key generation number and the integrity check code. Upon transport of the mail piece to a sorting center, the franking image is scanned and fees for billing are generated based thereon.
US08046301B1

When the deposit of a negotiable instrument, such as a check, is done electronically by using a digital image of the negotiable instrument rather than the negotiable instrument itself, during the process, at least two negotiable instruments may exist: the physical negotiable instrument and the digital image of the negotiable instrument. To change the physical negotiable instrument to a non-negotiable instrument, a bank or other financial institution may send a transmission to modify the appearance of the negotiable instrument, thus effectively “voiding” the physical negotiable instrument. The negotiable instrument may have various inks or mechanisms that facilitate the modification of the appearance through the application of a stimulus, such as heat or light. The financial institution may cause the application of the stimulus to modify the appearance of the negotiable instrument.
US08046298B1

A computerized mortgage loan data processing system comprises a loan cost analysis engine which compares data pertaining to loan pricing for a mortgage loan with loan pricing standards to evaluate whether the loan pricing is in compliance with the loan pricing standards. An interface is configured to provide an indication regarding whether the loan pricing is in compliance with the loan pricing standards prior to closing of the loan or prior to sale of the mortgage loan in the secondary mortgage market. The indication may be provided to a mortgage loan advisor or to a secondary mortgage market purchaser.
US08046295B1

A computer-implemented data processing system comprises capital management logic accessible to a plurality of users by way of a communication network. The plurality of users include companies, institutional investors, individual investors, and exchanges. The capital management logic is configured to facilitate pre-financing and post-financing interactions between the companies, the institutional investors, the individual investors, and the exchanges throughout one or more rounds of financing of the companies.
US08046294B2

The invention is directed to systems, methods, and an apparatus for bidding in online auctions. Bids for advertising include an amount that is a function of an expected value-per-click and a fraction of a budget already spent for advertising slots.
US08046290B2

In the financial-services industry, there are online centers that help brokers to match sellers and buyers of stock based on indications of interest (IOIs). However, at least some of these centers are not only limited in the types of IOIs that they provide, but also in the ways how they allow IOI senders to control IOI usage. Accordingly, to facilitate trades, one exemplary system provides an IOI which is associated with an online negotiation capability. Some versions of this system provide mechanisms for users, such as broker-dealers, to define different IOI response privileges for recipients of their IOIs. To reduce the market risks of failed negotiations, some versions provide automated features for comparing confidential information from traders and initiating online negotiations for stock transactions contingent on favorable comparisons.
US08046274B2

A method of color grading gems by a user by their inherent properties of shape, hue, tone and saturation. Each of the properties is variable over a practical range derived from a database. The database is created by digitally coding gem shapes, hues, tones and colors from digital photographs of gems of different, shapes, hues, tones and saturation. The variable properties are displayed on a screen and the user selects the best matching respective shape, hue, tone and saturation in comparison to the particular gem being graded. Upon receiving the user's selections, an image of the a gem having the shape, hue, tone and saturation selected by the user is displayed on the screen and translated into alpha-numeric code which can be communicated to any other user of the same system, enabling remote discussion and evaluation of the same target gem.
US08046272B1

In accordance with a method for facilitating real-time product inquiries during online shopping, a request may be received from a potential buyer of a product for real-time inquiry about the product. In response, a previous customer of the product who has enrolled to participate in a real-time inquiry program may be identified. Real-time communication may be established with the previous customer.
US08046269B2

A method and system for performing an auction by determining a request for an item based on at least one of (i) an item to purchase, (ii) a performance specification of the item to purchase, and (iii) a term of a request for the item to purchase. The method and system include sending, through a network, the request for the item to an auctioneer machine server. Performance information is collected for each seller. Notice is provided that a performance evaluation has been received for a specific seller, and is on record with the provider of the information. Additional transaction costs may be captured and included as a separate line item in an auto-rebid auction environment.
US08046267B2

The method and apparatus of the present invention include generating a list of orders associated with an account. The list of orders comprises orders that are open. Selection of one of the orders is detected. A request to change the selected order is detected. Changes in the open and pending orders to reflect the future state of an asset are applied. A quote based on the future state of an asset is generated. A user is allowed to change the configuration of the future state of the asset, and the change is incorporated in the quote.
US08046266B1

Personalizing a gift instrument by customizing the presentation and redemption for a gift instrument recipient. A gift instrument purchaser or other data source associates customization information such as redemption recommendations, restrictions, or other content with the gift instrument based on the gift instrument recipient. The customization information is presented to the gift instrument recipient upon redemption of the gift instrument. In an embodiment, information about the redemption by the gift instrument recipient is provided to the gift instrument purchaser.
US08046261B2

A mobile terminal is enabled to conduct an EMV transaction. A wireless access node in the EMV card-reader terminal is provided for connecting a mobile terminal to the card-reader terminal. An EMV-proxy module executing in the card-reader terminal facilitates communication between the mobile terminal and the card-reader terminal. The EMV-proxy module lets the mobile terminal function in essentially the same way as a regular EMV chip card with respect to the card-reader terminal. The card-reader terminal may then conduct EMV transactions on behalf of the mobile terminal without requiring new software and/or hardware at the EMV issuer. EMV data is stored in the mobile terminal in the form of secure dynamic data objects. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).
US08046256B2

The present invention involves spending loyalty points over a computerized network to facilitate a transaction. With this system, a loyalty program participant is able to use an existing transaction card to purchase an item over a computerized network, while at the same time offsetting the cost of that transaction by converting loyalty points to a currency value credit and having the credit applied to the participant's financial transaction account. Currency credit from converted loyalty points may also be applied to stored value cards, online digital wallet accounts and the like. Further, currency credit may also be applied to other accounts to effect a gift or donation.
US08046243B2

An electronic product code information service (EPCIS) interface is provided that allows accessing applications residing on a variety of systems to receive EPC-related data. In setting up an insurance policy, the EPC-related data may be used to determine objects covered by the insurance policy and to valuate the covered objects. An insurance premium may be generated for the insurance policy based on this valuation. In addition, changes to the covered objects may be detected based on the EPC-related data and may be used to automatically adjust the insured value and/or insurance premium.
US08046240B2

In issuing an order, a medical image diagnostic system acquires order issuance support information on the basis of a reference report or a reference image, which an order issuer uses as a basis of order creation. The medical image diagnostic system classifies the order issuance support information on the basis of a table and presents the order issuance support information using a predetermined order issuance support screen. For example, the order issuer selects desired conditions from the order issuance support screen presented to perform order issuance based on the reference report or the like.
US08046237B1

Creation and placement of tag forums for tags enables a user to discuss aspects of both tags and elements associated with the tags, and further enables a user to view discussions from other users. The tag forum may be generated and/or placed based in part on user interaction or other factors related to the elements and the tags. Tag forums may be placed on, for example, selective tag web pages or associated element web pages within a website, among other possibilities.
US08046233B2

A method for local, computer-aided translation using remotely-generated translation predictions includes the step of receiving, by a remote translation memory, at least one portion of a document in a source language for translation into a target language. The remote translation memory determines, prior to receiving a request from a translator for a translation of a second portion of the document, that a translation of the at least one portion is useful in translating the second portion, or in translating a portion of a second document. A local machine receives the translation of the first portion and an identification of the utility of the translation. A translation agent on the local machine generates a translation through reuse of the translation of the first portion of the document, responsive to the received identification of the utility of the translation of the first portion of the document.
US08046207B2

An analysis tool analyzes a model to determine the digital effect of the model in a modeling or programming environment. With the analysis tool, a user can determine minimum hardware functionality needed to execute the software generated from the model. The hardware functionality may include the word size of the microprocessor that executes the software appropriately. The hardware functionality may also include the execution speed of the microprocessor executing the software. The hardware functionality may further include the functionality of other hardware elements, such as the word length of an Analog to Digital converter. The analysis tool enables a user to produce a system at a low cost while achieving necessary performance criteria.
US08046206B1

A method of defining a configuration of hardware resources, using a subgraph isomorphism process. The method executes a subgraph isomorphism process to discover possible resources in a hardware resource space that are suitable to implement a function. The hardware resource space may be defined by a target graph and the function may be defined by a subgraph. Next, the target graph is annotated to establish configuration settings for selected resources of the possible resources. The configuration settings may be established based on the subgraph mapping to the target graph. The target graph may also be annotated to specify parameters for the selected resources. This annotation may be performed in response to receiving parameters for the function.
US08046200B2

An algorithm is disclosed for constructing nonlinear models from high-dimensional scattered data. The algorithm progresses iteratively adding a new basis function at each step to refine the model. The placement of the basis functions is driven by a statistical hypothesis test that reveals geometric structure when it fails. At each step the added function is fit to data contained in a spatio-temporally defined local region to determine the parameters, in particular, the scale of the local model. The proposed method requires no ad hoc parameters. Thus, the number of basis functions required for an accurate fit is determined automatically by the algorithm. The approach may be applied to problems including modeling data on manifolds and the prediction of financial time-series. The algorithm is presented in the context of radial basis functions but in principle can be employed with other methods for function approximation such as multi-layer perceptrons.
US08046199B2

Digital predistortion system, methods and circuitry for adapting a predistortion system linearizing a non-linear element. The system is a multiply partitioned architecture that addresses long or “memory” effects, and separately addresses shorter duration effects. In a preferred method, the non-linear element is first modeled in software as a nonlinearity and a linearity in cascade form, preferably a Wiener model. The model is validated and adapted to minimize an observed error between the model and the non-linear element. The software model of the non-linear element is then used first to model a predistortion block that addresses short duration effects, and second to separately model a predistortion block that addresses longer duration effects. The models are software executable by an external processor in real time. Periodically the models are executed and used to update the adaptive parameters of the predistortion system without interrupting the system operation.
US08046198B2

The present invention discloses a novel method for identifying an individual who may be susceptible to develop a developmental disorder. In one particular example, an individual is identified who is genetically susceptible to becoming schizophrenic. In addition, the present invention discloses a novel method for identifying individuals who are genetically susceptible to have offspring with a developmental disorder. Methods of diagnosing, preventing and treating developmental disorders such as schizophrenia are also provided.
US08046196B2

In a network sensor assembly, network environmental monitor, and associated fabrication methods, a network sensor assembly comprises a panel configured for mounting on a surface, a plurality of addressable sensors coupled to the panel that sense environmental conditions at the surface, a memory device that stores configuration information associated with the plurality of addressable sensors, and a bus. The bus is communicatively coupled to the plurality of addressable sensors and the memory device and is configured for communicatively coupling the network sensor assembly to a network node for communicating data associated with the sensed environmental conditions in a network.
US08046188B2

A temperature sensor for measuring temperature in accordance with a time-of-life of a fluorescent light that is produced by a fluorescent material, and is provided with a light source for imaging an excitation light, a fluorescent material for producing fluorescent light by the excitation light, a photoreceptor element for detecting the fluorescent light and outputting a fluorescent light signal in accordance with the fluorescent light intensity, and a signal processing circuit for calculating a temperature based on the fluorescent light signal from the photoreceptor element, where the signal processing circuit calculates integral values for the fluorescent light signals in the respective intervals A through C that have identical time durations, and then, based on the integral values, for two intervals, calculates a difference value, and then calculates a ratio of two difference values, to be a variable that varies in accordance with the temperature, and then references the relationship between the temperature and the ratio between difference values, stored in advance, to convert the calculated variable into the temperature.
US08046185B1

Systems, methods, and apparatuses including computer program products for oscillator calibration include, in at least one implementation, a storage device including: a system including a first clock source, a second clock source, and a motor controller, the motor controller including calibration circuitry configured to calibrate the second clock source according to the first clock source in response to the first clock source operating as expected, and configured to provide to the system the calibrated second clock source as a timing reference instead of the first clock source as the timing reference in response to the first clock source not operating as expected, a head actuator configured to communicate with the motor controller, and a spindle disposed within the system.
US08046173B2

The present technique provides for the analysis of a data series to identify sequences of interest within the series. The analysis may be used to iteratively update a grammar used to analyze the data series or updated versions of the data series. Furthermore, the technique provides for the calculation of a minimum description length heuristic, such as a symbol compression ratio, for each sub-sequence of the analyzed data sequence. The technique may then compare a selected heuristic value against one or more reference conditions to determine if additional iteration is to be performed. The grammar and the data sequence may be updated between iterations to include a symbol representing a string corresponding to the selected heuristic value based upon a non-termination result of the comparison. Alternatively, the string corresponding to the selected heuristic value may be identified as a sequence of interest based upon a termination result of the comparison.
US08046166B2

Traffic information, including traffic flow information and traffic incident information, obtained through a traffic management system for providing and facilitating the exchange of traffic information between a remote location and a vehicle may be presented to a user on a user display in the vehicle. The traffic information may be presented to the user in several circumstances, either as cued by the user, or automatically presented by the traffic management system. The user display may also automatically display traffic flow and traffic incident information for the direction that the user is traveling or along a route calculated by the navigation device. Further, a window displaying information about an upcoming traffic incident such as distance to the incident and incident details may automatically appear in the user display. Alternately, the user may select a roadway, freeway, or area for which traffic information is desired.
US08046163B2

The present invention's network-based directions-provision methodology typically features the establishment of two ranking schemes that reversely parallel each other. The “personal” ranking scheme ranks all permitted persons in terms of the degree of access permission with respect to the variously ranked regions of a facility; the lower the personal rank, the fewer the regional ranks to which the person is permitted access. The “regional” ranking scheme ranks all accessible regions in terms of the degree of access permission with respect thereto by the variously ranked permitted persons; the higher the regional rank, the fewer the personal ranks that are permitted access to the region. According to typical inventive practice, a permitted person logs in to request directions, within the facility, from an original location to a destination location; the directions given (textual and/or graphical) are the optimal directions that are consistent with the personal rank of the requestor.
US08046159B2

A method of receiving an instruction by an airplane from a control system includes facilitating, by the airplane, a user of a system of the airplane in accepting or rejecting the instruction. The instruction may be received by the airplane via a data link between the control system and the airplane system. If the instruction is accepted, the method may further include loading, by the airplane, the instruction into the airplane system and/or adjusting, by the airplane, at least one airplane control to correspond to the instruction.
US08046149B2

A brake apparatus includes first, second and third solenoid valves (hereinafter SOL1, SOL2 and SOL3) respectively disposed in a first branch pipe, a second branch pipe, and a main pipe connecting a master cylinder and a brake caliper. The brake apparatus also includes first, second and third pressure sensors (hereinafter P1, P2 and P3) respectively disposed between the master cylinder and the SOL3, between the SOL1 and a fluid loss simulator, and between the SOL2 and the hydraulic pressure modulator. The brake apparatus further includes a control unit for detecting output values of P1, P2 and P3. A resolution of P2 is set at a value greater than resolutions of P1 and P3. With SOL1 in an opened state, when detected output value of P2 is less than a predetermined value, the control unit stores output values from the respective pressure sensors as reference values.
US08046148B2

A traveling safety device for a vehicle of the present invention includes a brake device, a brake operation detecting device, a storage device, a present vehicle position detecting device, a vehicle state detecting device, a road shape recognizing device, a proper vehicle state setting device, a comparing device, a brake assist control device, a brake assist control device. The brake assist control device calculates an initial brake assist pressure based on a comparison result of the comparing device, and changes a brake assist pressure in proportion to the brake operation of the driver when a change in the brake operation by the driver has been detected after start of brake assist control based on the initial brake assist pressure.
US08046147B2

When swaying motions of a trailer or semi-trailer of a car-trailer combination are encountered, input signals which are taken into consideration to calculate a reference signal frequently include also oscillation components, due to which driving dynamics control for stabilization of the car-trailer combination can become very unreliable. To enhance the reliability of driving dynamics control of this type, a method is disclosed in which an input signal (Y) is sensed that includes signal oscillations which are due to a swaying motion of the trailer or semi-trailer and are superimposed on a base component (YBasis) of the input signal (Y). A reference signal is calculated from the input signal (Y), in which case the calculation is executed in such a way that the reference signal by approximation corresponds to a reference signal which is determined from the base component (YBasis) of the input signal (Y). A correcting variable for influencing the driving behavior of the towing vehicle of the car-trailer combination is then determined depending on a deviation between the reference signal and a detected actual signal. Furthermore, the invention discloses a driving dynamics control system which is appropriate to implement the method.
US08046143B2

An ECU executes a program including: a step of detecting a turbine revolution speed, a step of detecting an engine torque TE, a step of detecting a speed change ratio, a step of setting a range an enlarged slip region when a slip region enlargement condition is satisfied, and a step of enlarging the slip region toward a lock-up region side (high-load side).
US08046141B2

An automatic gear shifting control device of a vehicle can execute an automatic gear shifting control in response to a larger rotational speed. The automatic gear shifting control device includes a gear shifting control instruction part that executes an automatic gear shifting operation of an AMT in response to at least vehicle-speed information. First and second sensors detect rotational speed of front and rear wheels. A rotational-speed-difference detector detects the difference in rotational speed between the front and rear wheels based on information from the first and second sensors. The control part is configured to execute an automatic gear shifting control in response to the vehicle-speed information calculated based on the larger rotational speed out of the rotational speed of the front wheel and the rotational speed of the rear wheel when the difference in rotational speed is detected by the rotational-speed-difference detector.
US08046140B2

An exemplary embodiment includes a method of operating a drivetrain. The drivetrain includes a PTO and a transmission having multiple speed ratios. The PTO includes a PTO output member and a PTO input member. The method includes monitoring a speed value representative of a rotational speed of a PTO component, comparing the speed value to a preselected PTO overspeed value, reducing the rotational speed of the PTO component, and overriding a manual command to increase the rotational speed of the PTO component above the preselected PTO overspeed value.
US08046139B2

For controlling several agricultural machine systems during operation on a territory, based on a reference line, an optimized route for working the territory is determined for the particular machine system, and the particular machine system is driven along this route. The reference line is determined by recording a reference path that was driven along with a first machine system, and the first machine system is controlled based on this reference line with consideration for the working conditions of the first machine system. This reference line is also transmitted by the first machine system to at least one second machine system, which is controlled based on this reference line of the first machine system and with consideration for the working conditions of the second machine system. A corresponding control system for controlling several agricultural machine systems during operation of a territory is also described.
US08046137B2

Two data processing units having the same function, one of which is used for a master and the other for comparison, are provided, control of a circuit unit is performed by the master, the master data processing unit and the circuit unit are operated in synchronization with a first clock signal, the second data processing unit is operated in synchronization with a second clock signal having the same cycle and different phase from the first clock signal, and processing results of both the data processing units are compared in a comparison circuit. Flip flops are disposed on a signal path from the circuit unit to the comparison data processing unit and on a signal path from the master data processing unit to the comparator, and both the first and second clock signals are used for latch clocks of the flip flops in accordance with input signals thereof.
US08046119B2

The parts of the flight plan of an aircraft corresponding to lateral trajectories at low altitude can comprise passages with limited lateral freedom of deployment because of risks of collision with the ground, or because of obstacles on the ground. The method makes it possible to signal them for the attention of the crew, so that said crew should redouble their attention. To do this it uses the display, on an onboard navigation screen, of a vertical profile of margin of maneuver relating to the navigation band widened to the right and to the left by lateral margins of maneuver, superimposed on the vertical navigation profile relating only to the navigation band.
US08046111B2

Disclosed are a system and method with a cooperative control algorithm that can appraise voltage stability of a power system in cooperation with a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)/emergency management system (EMS) for cooperative control on multiple parallel flexible alternating current transmission systems (FACTS) to enhance voltage stability, and that can calculate individual operation points of the FACTS.
US08046101B2

Provided is a cleaning robot system and a method of controlling the same for economically cleaning, with high workability, plate-shaped members, such as solar cell panels and reflecting mirrors used in photovoltaic power generation and solar thermal power generation systems. A cleaning robot system (1) for cleaning planar or curved plate-shaped members (4a), (4b) that are panels for photovoltaic power generation or reflecting mirrors for solar thermal power generation includes: a large number of cleaning robots (2) each having a function to travel on each of the plate-shaped members (4) which are to be cleaned and a function to clean the plate-shaped members (4); and an arranging robot (3) having a conveying function to move any of the cleaning robots (2) from a first one (4a) of the plate-shaped members to a second one (4b) of the plate-shaped members. Each of the cleaning robots (2) has a suction mechanism for performing cleaning while attaching onto one of the plate-shaped members (4), and the large number of cleaning robots (2) and a smaller number of the arranging robots (3) than that of the cleaning robots (2) cooperate together to clean the plate-shaped members (4) placed in a photovoltaic power generation or solar thermal power generation plant.
US08046097B2

Methods for generating supports (30) for parts (50) produced by solid freeform fabrication (“SFF”) are disclosed. The method includes defining a plurality of layers (L) that make up the part, and for each layer, determining those regions (R) that require support. The method also includes merging the regions for the different layers (L) into one or more common regions that require support, and providing at least one support for each of the one or more common regions. The result is that fewer supports are used as compared to conventional SFF fabrication methods.
US08046089B2

A method includes obtaining a nonlinear process model modeling a nonlinear process to be controlled. The method also includes obtaining an objective function defining how the process is controlled. The method further includes obtaining a control model defining a dynamic feasible region associated with a controlled variable, where the controlled variable is associated with the process. In addition, the method includes controlling the nonlinear process by solving a control problem that includes the process model, control model, and objective function. The dynamic feasible region defined by the control model could represent a funnel region. The objective function could include terms for minimizing and optimizing adjustments to one or more manipulated variables associated with the process. Controlling the nonlinear process could include performing simultaneous control and optimization, where adjustments to the one or more manipulated variables are chosen to meet the control objectives and possibly to optimize and minimize the adjustments.
US08046087B2

The electronic controller fetches an external signal and performs an input process such as A-D conversion. Upon receipt of processing results for executing operations according to a predetermined program, an output process is performed for sending a signal to the outside board on operation results, a timer outputs at least two of an input process start signal for starting the input process, an output process start signal for starting the output process, and an operation start signal for starting the operation.
US08046086B2

A system and method for implementing a control process within a process control system and resolving inconsistencies during execution of the control process includes loading the logical structure of the control process, loading a plurality of instantiation objects or processes when the control process is instantiated, using the instantiation objects to instantiate a procedural element of the control process as the control process calls for the procedural element during execution, executing the procedural element as part of the control process, and deconstructing the procedural element as execution of the procedural element is completed during execution of the control process. Resolution of inconsistencies includes executing a first model of an entity in a controller, executing a second model of the entity in an execution engine, detecting a difference between the models, generating a prompt and receiving an operation instruction to continue the process or abort the process.
US08046072B2

Device data is generated at each medical device in a system including a plurality of medical devices. Priority information is dynamically assigned to the device data at each medical device based on the character of the device data. The device data and the priority information are transmitted from each medical device. Interfering communications of device data and priority information from multiple medical devices are processed successively based on the priority information.
US08046067B2

AV synchronous, dual chamber pacing systems are disclosed having improved sensing of ectopic ventricular depolarizations or PVCs coincidentally occurring at or shortly following delivery of an A-PACE pulse. A first ventricular sense amplifier that is blanked during and following delivery of an A-PACE pulse is coupled to active and indifferent ventricular pace/sense electrodes defining a ventricular sense vector for sensing natural ventricular depolarizations and declaring a V-EVENT. A far field PVC sense amplifier coupled to a far field PVC sense electrode pair defining a PVC sense vector detects such PVCs while the ventricular sense amplifier is blanked. A PVC declared during the ventricular blanking period by the far field PVC sense amplifier is employed to deliver a VSP pulse upon time-out of a VSP delay, if the VSP function is provided and programmed ON, and/or to halt time-out of an AV delay.
US08046039B2

A case of a mobile terminal includes a user input unit, a controller for manipulating an input signal, an interface for transmitting the manipulated input signal and protects a mobile terminal. As the case of the mobile terminal provides an additional user input, this allows a user to control each function of the mobile terminal with user friendly manner, or to input data efficiently, and to improve a design quality of the mobile terminal.
US08046031B2

A mobile communication terminal and method of controlling a broadcast program are disclosed, by which the inability to view or record a reserved broadcast program is prevented and by which information related to the availability of a reserved broadcast program for viewing or recording with reference to a battery capacity can be provided to a user in real time.
US08046030B2

A mobile device having first and second modes of operation is operated responsive to detection of a predefined localized movement of a housing of the mobile device using a sensor associated therewith. The detected predefined localized movement is associated with first and second functions of the mobile device responsive to a user input assigning the detected predefined localized movement thereto. A first device function is performed responsive to detection of the predefined localized movement in the first mode of operation, and a second device function is performed responsive to detection of the predefined localized movement in the second mode of operation. A predetermined delay time may also be associated with the predefined localized movement, and the first and/or second functions may be performed at the predetermined delay time after detecting the predefined localized movement.
US08046028B2

A mobile communication apparatus that utilizes multiple base station/mobile station antennas and a mobile communication method performed therein are provided. The mobile communication apparatus includes a base station having at least two antennas and at least two mobile stations having at least one antenna, respectively. The base station restores weight information and channel status information from feedback signals received from the mobile stations, determines downlink investigation information that results in maximum transmission channel capacity based on the restored weight information and channel status information, selects mobile stations for simultaneous transmission based on the downlink investigation information, and processes data to be transmitted to the selected mobile stations based on the downlink investigation information.
US08046026B2

A first camera equipped for a video telephony and a second camera configured for capturing still or video images are combined into one assembly. The assembly is interconnected with a flexible printed circuit board then assembled into and connected with a portable communications terminal body. The assembly is configured for efficient integration with the terminal and saves assembly time and manufacturing costs.
US08045995B2

A centralized location system includes a location update application programming interface (API) to receive varying types of location inputs for a user from at least one location-providing application. A memory stores a location of the user and the location inputs, wherein the location update API periodically updates in the memory the location inputs when location updates are received from the at least one location-providing application. A location export API, upon request from a location-based service application, processes the location inputs to estimate a location of the user, which location estimate replaces the stored location in memory and is sent to the location-based service application. A user interface enables the user to specify a location granularity for at least one of the at least one location-providing application and the location-based service application.
US08045991B2

A method is provided for transmitting a common channel in a cellular communication system that supports a scalable system bandwidth and uses multiple access technology. The transmission method includes determining a system bandwidth of a cell by comparing a reception bandwidth of User Equipments (UEs) located in the cell with the system bandwidth; mapping a first synchronous channel (SCH) sequence to a central band of a system band, which has a bandwidth which is greater than or equal to a minimum bandwidth required for detecting an SCH; if the system bandwidth is greater than twice the reception bandwidth, additionally mapping second SCH sequences to bands having the minimum bandwidth, each of which is spaced from the central band by a predetermined interval; and transmitting to the UEs located in the cell a signal in the frequency domain to which at least one of the first SCH sequence and the second SCH sequences is mapped.
US08045990B2

Data is accessed from a network via a wireless communication link. A determination is made as to whether payload data has been received from a subscriber's terminal. If so, then a request is sent for a first set of traffic channels, and the payload data is transmitted over the first set of traffic channels.
US08045987B2

A drifting wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) has an associated drift radio network controller (D-RNC) and an associated servicing radio network controller (S-RNC). The D-RNC sends a request message to the S-RNC requesting measurements of the drifting WTRU. The S-RNC receives the request message and sends an information message with the requested measurements to the D-RNC. The D-RNC receives the information message.
US08045978B2

Provided are an apparatus and method for managing a tool kit menu of a portable terminal in a roaming condition. The method includes updating, by a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) tool kit module, location information based on broadcast information from the roaming network, creating, by the SIM tool kit module, a location event status based on the location information, providing, by the SIM tool kit module, the location event status to a SIM card module, updating, by the SIM card module, the tool kit menu based on the location event status, and providing the tool kit menu, by the SIM card module, to the SIM tool kit module.
US08045974B2

A method for establishing an optimized communication link between mobile network nodes. An interface management module of a first mobile network node checks the mobile network node for available network interfaces and establishes a look-up table with the available network interfaces. Based on the look-up table at least one signalling channel is set up for configuration data with communication parameters and/or security parameters via one of the available network interfaces with a second mobile network node. Based on the look-up table with the communication parameters and the security parameters at least one data channel is established between the first mobile network node and the second mobile network node. Both the at least one signalling channel and the at least one data channel are able to be set up via one or more network interfaces.
US08045958B2

Embodiments described herein address mobile devices with non-secure operating systems that do not provide a sufficient security framework. More particularly, the embodiments described herein provide a set of applications to the device for providing security features to the non-secure operating system.
US08045951B2

A dual-LO mixer is disclosed. The dual-LO mixer receives an input signal, a first reference signal of a first reference frequency, and a second reference signal of a second reference frequency, and performs a frequency translation to convert the input signal into an output signal, wherein the frequency difference between the input signal and the output signal is a sum or a difference of the first reference frequency and the second reference frequency.
US08045950B2

A mixing circuit is provided that includes a charge circuit, an oscillating circuit inlet step which is connected to a circuit which feeds an oscillating signal, and a signal inlet step. The oscillating circuit inlet step comprises at least two bipolar-transistors and the emitters thereof are connected to a constant potential which is independent from the oscillating signal. The mixing circuit is used, preferably, in a base station or a mobile radio device of a cellular radio network.
US08045948B2

A receiving apparatus includes a receiving portion to receive a radio signal generated based on one baseband signal of a baseband signal having a prescribed frequency band and a baseband signal having a partial frequency band being a part of the prescribed frequency band, a signal processing portion to generate the baseband signal by converting a frequency of the radio signal, a filter portion to output a plurality of partial signals, each having a frequency component of each partial frequency band extracted from the baseband signal generated by the signal processing portion, and an analysis portion to analyze characteristics of each partial signal of the plurality of partial signals output from the filter portion.
US08045934B2

A support plate includes a plate body, which has a shape of a flat plate with predetermined width and length and made of metal, and a radio coverage area member, which is provided at one of opposite ends of the plate body so as to be located adjacent to a radio coverage area of an antenna and made of plastic. Further, a mobile communication terminal has the support plate that supports a mobile communication terminal body on which at least one antenna is installed and transmits and receives radio waves through the antenna.
US08045930B2

A communication system comprising one or more transceiver units of a first type and one or more transceiver units of a second type capable of communicating with the transceiver units of the first type; each transceiver unit of the first type comprising: a frequency comparison unit for comparing the frequency of a signal received from a transceiver unit of the second type with a reference frequency; a feedback signal generator for generating a feedback signal dependent on the result of that comparison; and a transmitter for transmitting that signal to the transceiver unit of the second type; and each transceiver unit of the second type comprising: a local frequency reference unit on which the frequency of signals transmitted by it are dependent; and a frequency adjustment unit for receiving the feedback signal and adjusting the local frequency reference unit in dependence on the feedback signal.
US08045925B2

An exemplary intermediate frequency (IF) signal loss compensation circuit for an outdoor unit of a communication system includes a sending circuit, a detection circuit, a receiving circuit, and a control circuit. The detection circuit detects in substantially real-time the loss of signal transmitted via a cable from the indoor to the outdoor unit, and transmits loss signal to the control circuit. The control circuit compares the loss signal with a pre-stored signal to determine the loss and then, the control circuit gives loss signals of the sending circuit a variable gain compensation according to the loss. The control circuit also gives loss signals of the receiving circuit a variable gain compensation in advance. The IF signal loss compensation circuit can detect the IF signal loss in substantially real-time, giving the IF signal a variable gain compensation for the loss.
US08045913B2

An optional tray fastening device of an image forming apparatus, for providing a fastening connection between an optional receiving tray moving in and out with respect to a main body of the image forming apparatus and the main body when mounting the optional tray to a lower part of the main body, includes a fastening depression formed at a lower part of the main body; a connection boss that protrudes from an upper part of the optional tray to be inserted in the fastening depression; and a key member that restrains escape of the connection boss from the fastening depression.
US08045901B2

A toner container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus includes a main body for containing toner, a toner discharging portion having an opening, and a coupling member. The coupling member includes an extended portion. The extended portion includes an engaging projection. The engaging projection is configured and positioned to displace in an inward direction with the extended portion as the engaging projection enters a hollow cylindrical driving member of an assembly of the image forming apparatus, and is also configured and positioned to engage with a slot of the hollow cylindrical driving member when the extended portion elastically restores in an outward direction. The engaging projection includes a tapered surface portion configured and positioned to receive a force for displacing in the inward direction with the extended portion as the engaging projection enters the hollow cylindrical driving member, and a side surface portion.
US08045900B2

A developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus, have transport members with screw and shaft portions, transporting developer within the device in a longitudinal direction of a circulation path. A supply supplies new carrier to the device. A discharge aperture in a transport path wall of one transport member discharges developer outside the circulation path, when a surface of the developer transported by the one transport member exceeds a predetermined height. A bias path aperture in the transport path wall upstream of the discharge aperture has a bottom at a higher level than a bottom of the discharge aperture, and diverts developer at a level higher than the bottom of the discharge aperture to another transport member. An area in the longitudinal direction of the one transport member has no screw portion, and the discharge aperture is disposed opposite the area and has a length smaller than the area.
US08045885B2

According to an embodiment of the invention, slide rails guided by guide rails of a body frame are provided on an EPU frame. A slidable bolt is provided on a belt unit frame. When the belt unit is attached to or removed from the body frame, the bolt is fitted into an insertion port of the EPU frame and the EPU frame is connected with the belt unit frame. The slide rails of the EPU frame are used to integrally attach and remove the belt unit and the EPU to and from the body frame.
US08045883B2

A pressing member applies a pressing force to a trailing end in a direction which intersects a predetermined reference direction, allowing the pressing force to have both a first component in the predetermined reference direction and a second component perpendicular to the predetermined reference direction. A trailing end is pressed in the predetermined reference direction by the first component. In the mounted state, the leading end is in contact with the reference member at two contact surfaces including a first contact surface and a second contact surface. The first contact surface defines a first positioning direction being perpendicular to the first contact surface and intersecting the predetermined reference direction. The second contact surface defines a second positioning direction being perpendicular to the second contact surface and intersecting both the predetermined reference direction and the first positioning direction, allowing the photosensitive-member unit to be positioned with respect to the main body.
US08045872B2

An image-forming apparatus includes: an optical sensor that includes a light source unit which applies light having a light-emission main wavelength λ to a peripheral face of an image-supporting member, and a light-receiving unit which receives a reflected light thereof, so as to optically detect a toner pattern formed on a peripheral face of the image-supporting member, wherein the image-supporting member has at least one thin-film layer formed on the peripheral face thereof, and the thickness of an outermost surface thin-film layer is set so as to allow a reflectance function R(d) that indicates the relationship between a reflectance R of the peripheral face of the image-supporting member to light having a light-emission main wavelength λ from the light source unit and a thickness d (nm) of the outermost surface thin-film layer of the image-supporting member to satisfy: R(d)≧0.75×{Rmax(d)−Rmin(d)}+Rmin(d).
US08045868B2

A recording material determination apparatus includes a first detection unit configured to detect a characteristic corresponding to a surface condition of a recording material based on a captured image of a surface of the recording material, a second detection unit configured to detect a characteristic corresponding to a grammage of the recording material based on an ultrasonic wave detected via the recording material by irradiating the recording material with an ultrasonic wave, and a conveyance unit configured to convey the recording material. The first detection unit and the second detection unit are located opposite each other with respect to the conveyance unit.
US08045866B2

Hard Imaging Methods, Liquid Marking Agent Monitoring Methods, and Hard Imaging Devices are described. According to one embodiment, a hard imaging method includes forming a plurality of latent images using a hard imaging device, using the hard imaging device, developing the latent images using a liquid marking agent, wherein bubbles are present in the liquid marking agent during the developing, calibrating the hard imaging device, and reducing bubbles present in the liquid marking agent during the calibrating compared with the bubbles present in the liquid marking agent during the developing. Additional embodiments are described in the disclosure.
US08045857B2

In an optical access network using an optical switching device, a 2×1 optical splitter in the uplink and downlink directions is eliminated to extend the transmission distance between the OLT and the ONU. An optical switching device includes a downlink optical switch element for switching a downlink optical signal sent by an OLT, an uplink optical switch element for switching an uplink optical signal sent by a plurality of ONU, an O/E for converting a downlink optical signal to a first electrical signal, an E/O for converting the first electrical signal to a downlink optical signal and inputting the downlink optical signal to the downlink optical element, an O/E for converting an uplink optical signal output from the uplink optical switch element to a second electrical signal, and an E/O for converting the second electrical signal to an uplink optical signal and sending the uplink optical signal to the OLT.
US08045856B2

The present disclosure provides polarization mode dispersion compensation (PMDC) and polarization de-multiplexing systems and methods for polarization multiplexed (PolMux) optical transmission systems. The PMDC detects an error signal before a polarization splitter in PolMux systems for controlling polarization controllers (PC) and/or DGDs in the PMDC for return-to-zero (RZ) differential m-phase shift keying (DmPSK) signals. For bit-aligned PolMux systems, the error signal could be the level of clock frequency at one, two, or more times of the baud rate at one polarization. For bit-interleaved PolMux systems, the error signal could be the level of clock frequency at two times of the baud rate at one polarization. The PMDC can operate in PolMux systems with any arbitrary time offset between the two polarizations. The polarization de-multiplexer utilizes error detection at both output arms of a polarization splitter to mitigate PDL impact on any PolMux type of signal.
US08045854B2

A M×N wavelength selective optical switch (WSS) for switching K wavelength channels is disclosed. The WSS has two MEMS micromirror arrays, a M×K array and a 1×N array, for switching any wavelength channel from any input port to any output port, provided that any output port receives optical signals from only one input port. The WSS can be used to build fully reconfigurable, colorless and directionless node of an agile optical network.
US08045843B2

A method and apparatus for receiving and recording a digital broadcast program and reproducing a recorded digital broadcast program with time-based trick play features. While recording a broadcast program on a storage medium, the apparatus creates an index file regarding random access points of the program. Receiving a request for a jump or trick play operation given in terms of time, the apparatus detects the time interval between each of the random access points based on the created file. Referring to the time interval, the apparatus determines the position to be reached by the jump and begins playback from the position or determines the number of access points to be skipped for the trick play and begins the requested trick play by skipping random access points by the number, thereby providing a user-friendly interface having time-based trick play features.
US08045838B2

According to one embodiment of the present invention, an instructor's exercise image data is compared with a user's exercise image data. A personal video of a viewer who is viewing a master video is acquired by an imaging module. An image motion period determination module determines a series of image motion periods of the master video and the personal video. A motion characteristic amount acquisition module acquires motion characteristic amounts from image motion parts. A motion characteristic amount comparison module compares a motion characteristic amount of the maser video with that of the personal video. A storage module stores information corresponding to a frame having a large difference in motion characteristic amount. A disclosure module reproduces the frames of the master video and the personal video based on the stored information at the time of play back and outputs the reproduced frames.
US08045834B2

True time delay silica waveguides and related fabrication methods are disclosed. Also disclosed are true time delay silica waveguides comprising wedged silica structures.
US08045831B2

A lens system includes a body member holding at least one micro lens array. The micro lens array has a first surface with a plurality of micro lenses arranged in a row and a second surface opposing the first surface. The second surface is under an angle towards the first surface. Furthermore the lens system comprises either: (i) a plurality of ferrules enclosing end-portions of light waveguides, or (ii) a plurality of light waveguides without ferrules, wherein the ferrules or light waveguides are adhesively fastened in a spaced relationship from each other to the second surface of the micro lens array preferably by means of an adhesive, by bonding or by welding.
US08045828B2

The address calculating unit calculates a virtual address of a page for each pixel of a rectangular region of a predetermined size that is included in a screen. The acquiring unit acquires a physical address in correspondence with the virtual address of each pixel of the image information for which writing is requested, in accordance with a conversion table. The writing unit writes the image information for which writing is requested at the acquired physical address. The detecting unit detects an updated portion of the image information the content of which does not match before and after the writing, in units of pages. The compressing unit compresses the image information of the updated portion that is detected.
US08045827B2

A method of preparing a document for printing may include determining a preferred image resolution for an image on a document. An electronic file may be received. The electronic file may comprise data representing a first embedded image having a nominal resolution. A job may be received. The job may comprise one or more operations to be performed on the electronic file. A computing device may determine an effective resolution for the first embedded image based on the nominal resolution and the one or more operations. It is determined whether the effective resolution for the first embedded image is greater than the preferred image resolution. The first embedded image may be downsampled based on a scaling factor. A printing device may process the job using the downsampled first embedded image.
US08045817B2

A method for improving image quality, and an image signal processing apparatus and an AV device using the same are provided. In the method for improving image quality, processing image signals relating to improving the image quality can be adaptively performed based on the amount of movement of an input movie-image so that the image quality of the movie-image can be improved without breaking the image.
US08045813B2

Provided are an image encoding method and apparatus for encoding image data, in which compression efficiency is further improved by filtering motion-compensated image data, thereby reducing errors with respect to original image data, and an image decoding method and apparatus for decoding encoded image data. A filter is generated using previously decoded surrounding pixels of a current frame and surrounding pixels of a reference frame, and prediction data is then filtered using the generated filter. Therefore, it is possible to decrease a size of residual data to be encoded.
US08045812B2

A method for tracking a moving object in a sequence of images is provided, comprising: partitioning each of said images of said sequence into blocks, identifying blocks which have moved between consecutive images of said sequence, grouping adjacent blocks, which have moved in a same direction by a same distance, into a first group of blocks, initializing an initial template for said moving object with said first group of blocks and tracking said template in said sequence of images. A corresponding system for tracking moving objects is presented as well.
US08045809B2

In an image forming apparatus includes a quantization threshold value to convert input image data of an N value to output image data of an M value based on random dither processing. A flag to designate addition of a non-periodic component to a quantization threshold value can be set for each quantization threshold value and a threshold value that has a non-periodic component is added to the quantization threshold value based on a relation between a large and a small quantization threshold value in different threshold value levels with respect to any target pixel in the quantization threshold value.
US08045806B2

A method and a device determine material interfaces in a test object. The novel method generates three-dimensional image data of the test object or uses already existing three-dimensional image data of the test object. Image values of the image data are, or were, obtained by invasive radiation. An evaluation line for evaluating the image data relative to the test object is determined, a location of a material interface of the test object is determined by evaluating the image data of image values along the evaluation line so that the value of the first partial derivative of the image values in the direction of the evaluation line has a local maximum at the location of the material interface.
US08045796B2

An image processing device that performs color conversion processing using a lookup table (LUT) includes an acquiring unit that acquires an emulation LUT for applying emulation of a gamut to a target device from a device in use, the emulation LUT being generated using a device-in-use LUT for performing correction corresponding to input and output characteristics of the device in use and a target device LUT for performing correction corresponding to input and output characteristics of the target device, and a converting unit that performs gamut conversion in performing the emulation using the emulation LUT acquired by the LUT acquiring unit.
US08045793B2

A stereo matching system and a stereo matching method using the same. Here, a Sum of Edge Differences (SED) method as a disparity estimation method utilizing edge information is added to a disparity estimation method utilizing a local method to perform stereo matching. As such, it is possible to correct false matching in a non-texture region generated when stereo matching is performed using only a local method, thereby enabling good stereo matching.
US08045792B2

A method and an apparatus for controlling a dynamic depth of stereo-view or multi-view images. The method includes receiving stereo-view or multi-view images, generating a disparity histogram by estimating the disparity of two images corresponding to the received images and measuring the frequency of the estimated disparity, determining the disparity control amount of the stereo-view or multi-view images by convoluting the generated disparity histogram and a characteristic function, and rearranging stereo-view or multi-view input images by controlling parallax according to the control amount of parity.
US08045787B2

Provided are a system for analyzing a mask topography, which can reduce calculation time and increase calculation accuracy in consideration of a mask topography effect, and a method of forming an image using the system. The system and method simultaneously obtains a first electric field using a Kirchhoff method without considering a pitch formed on a mask and obtains a second electric field using an electromagnetic field analysis method considering the pitch, and then determines a third electric field on a pupil surface of a projection lens by combining the first electric field and the second electric field of forming an image, so as to calculate the image of an optical lithography system which includes an illumination system and a projection optical system and to which the projection lens belongs.
US08045783B2

A computerized robust cell kinetic recognition method for moving cell detection from temporal image sequence receives an image sequence containing a current image. A dynamic spatial-temporal reference generation is performed to generate dynamic reference image output. A reference based object segmentation is performed to generate initial object segmentation output. An object matching and detection refinement is performed to generate kinetic recognition results output. The dynamic spatial-temporal reference generation step performs frame look ahead and the reference images contain a reference intensity image and at least one reference variation image.
US08045771B2

A method of imaging comprises performing a scout image of an object and aligning major regions of interest within the object by comparing the scout image with a pre-determined atlas image. In a further embodiment, a method of imaging using a computed tomography (CT) scanner is provided and comprises performing a scout image of a subject and aligning major anatomical regions of interest within the subject by comparing the scout image with a pre-determined atlas image. Further, an imaging system for us with a computed tomography (CT) imaging device is provided and comprises a processor configured to perform aligning major anatomical regions of interest within a subject by comparing a scout image with a pre-determined atlas image, and wherein the major anatomical regions are used for automated localization for Scan Range and/or Exam split.
US08045769B2

A system (20) an image acquisition device, an image workstation, computer-readable medium and method for visualizing an anatomical tree structure is disclosed. The anatomical tree structure is segmented from a three-dimensional image set of at least a portion of a body. A planar angular visualization of the anatomical tree structure is then determined. The planar angular visualization of the anatomical tree structure is then displayed. Since the displayed anatomical tree structure has no occlusions or intersections of segments, the anatomical tree is much easier to read which facilitates subsequent automated or manual diagnosis of the tree for anomalies.
US08045762B2

There are provided a step of acquiring a main point cloud data on a predetermined measurement range by a laser scanner, a step of detecting a range with no data acquired, a step of acquiring a supplementary image data of the range with no data acquired by an auxiliary image pickup device, a step of preparing a stereoscopic image based on the supplementary image data obtained by the auxiliary image pickup device, a step of acquiring supplementary point cloud data from the stereoscopic image, and a step of supplementing the range with no data acquired of the main point cloud data by matching of the main point cloud data and the supplementary point cloud data.
US08045758B2

In a conduct inference process, feature points are extracted from a capture image. The extracted feature points are collated with conduct inference models to select conduct inference models in each of which an accordance ratio between a target vector and a movement vector is within a tolerance. Among the selected conduct inference models, one conduct inference model in which a distance from a relative feature point to a return point is shortest is selected. Then, a specific conduct designated in the selected conduct inference model is tentatively determined as a specific conduct the driver intends to perform. Furthermore, based on the tentatively determined specific conduct, it is determined whether the specific conduct is probable. When it is determined that the specific conduct is probable, an alarm process is executed to output an alarm to the driver.
US08045751B2

Provided is a device that records or outputs information, which acquires a first image to be a display target, judges whether at least a part of the acquired first image is a preset non-target image, and determines whether the acquired first image is an image to be recorded or output. When it is determined that the acquired first image is the image to be recorded or output as a result of the determination, the device records or outputs the acquired first image.
US08045750B2

A card identifying apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention has a light-receiving portion that reads a card on a pixel basis of a predetermined area as a unit including color information having brightness, RAM that stores image data comprised of a plurality of pixels read by the light-receiving portion, an image data thinning processing section that makes the number of read pixels lower in another direction than in one direction to vary the number of pixels of the image data when the reading means reads the card, and an judgment processing section that identifies authentication of the card based on the image data varied by the image data thinning processing section.
US08045749B2

Digital watermarking or steganographic data hiding is used to convey location data in video. A digital watermark or steganographic signal may associate geovector or geolocation information with video, video objects or areas depicted in the video. Other implementations and combinations are provided as well.
US08045744B2

A door speaker box includes an enclosure member and speaker operatively attached thereto, such that they define an acoustic volume, into which the speaker communicates. The enclosure member and speaker are configured to be installed as a speaker box unit in the vehicle door, such that speaker box unit seals the door against moisture passage into the vehicle interior. A flange integrally formed in the enclosure member extends substantially around a portion thereof and is configured to seal against such moisture passage. A hardware mounting surface may be integrally formed in the enclosure member, and configured to receive and support a door hardware component. The flange may further define and enclose the acoustic volume, and may be configured to seal multiple access holes in the inner panel, such that the door is characterized by an absence of rain paper or other dedicated water barrier.
US08045743B2

An acoustic device, including an acoustic enclosure and a first electroacoustical transducing apparatus comprising a motor structure providing mechanical vibration, the vibration having a direction of vibration, mounted in the acoustic enclosure. The acoustic device is constructed and arranged so that first pressure waves are radiated from a first radiation point and second pressure waves are radiated from a second radiation point and so that the first pressure waves and the second pressure waves destructively interfere at observation points relatively equidistant from the first and second radiation points. The acoustic device is further constructed and arranged to be structurally combined with a seating device so that the first radiation point is relatively close to the head of an occupant of the seating device and so that the second radiation point is relatively far from the head of the occupant. The acoustic device is further constructed and arranged to transmit the mechanical vibration to the seat back.
US08045742B2

An ear muff used with a headset containing two ear muffs. Both of the ear muffs are provided with a loudspeaker and a microphone for sensing ambient noise. An active noise reduction (ANR) circuitry is utilized to cancel the ambient noise. An immobile or inflexible disc is provided within each ear muff for preventing the change of dimensions of an enclosure which includes the loudspeaker and microphone, thereby preventing audio feedback.
US08045741B2

A boundary microphone, comprising: a base made of a metal; a cover made of a metal having a plurality of holes for introducing sound waves; and internal components including a microphone unit that is disposed in an internal space enclosed by the base and the cover; a first metallic part disposed on one side of the upper and lower sides of the internal components; and a second metallic part, which is disposed on other side of the upper and lower sides of the internal components and which encloses the internal components along with the first metallic part from all directions, are provided, wherein the base, the cover, the first metallic part, and the second metallic part are alternately overlapped at their peripheral portions, and wherein at least one of the first metallic part and the second metallic part is made of a metallic mesh.
US08045713B2

A method and apparatus is provided for consolidating cryptographic key updates, the consolidated update information enabling, for example, a returning member of a secure group who has been offline, to recover the current group key, at least in most cases. The unconsolidated key updates each comprise an encrypted key, corresponding to a node of a key hierarchy, that has been encrypted using a key which is a descendant of that node. The key updates are used to maintain a key tree with nodes in this tree corresponding to nodes in the key hierarchy. Each node of the key tree is used to store, for each encrypting key used in respect of the encrypted key associated with the node, the most up-to-date version of the encrypted key with any earlier versions being discarded. The key tree, or a subset of the tree, is then provided to group members.
US08045709B2

A mobile communication terminal for efficient digital broadcasting conditional access and a method of the mobile communication terminal. The mobile communication terminal includes a digital broadcasting receiver for receiving a scrambled digital broadcasting transport stream, a Subscriber Identify Module (SIM) card unit for generating a decoding key for descrambling the scrambled digital broadcasting transport stream, a multimedia unit for extracting from the scrambled digital broadcasting transport stream broadcasting viewing restriction information and broadcasting viewing entitlement information and descrambling the scrambled digital broadcasting transport stream using the decoding key generated by the smart card unit, and a controller for transmitting to the smart card unit the broadcasting viewing restriction information and broadcasting viewing entitlement information extracted by the multimedia unit in a digital broadcasting reception mode to control the smart card unit to generate the decoding key and transmitting the decoding key generated by the smart card unit to the multimedia unit.
US08045702B2

A hybrid circuit for a full-duplex transceiver includes a two-to-four wire ratio converter (50, Z1, Z2) for forwarding a transmitted signal TX′ on a transmission line (41) in response to an input signal TX. The ratio converter also produces a signal RXA in response to a received signal RX arriving on the transmission line, wherein signal RXA includes an echo of input signal TX. A passive filter (H1) and a first active filter (H2) each filter input signal TX to generate signals TXA and TXB summed with the RXA signal to form a signal RXB at the input of an amplifier (52, Z3, Z4) producing an output signal RXC. A second active filter (H3) filters input signal TX to generate a signal TXC summed with the RXC signal to produce the output signal RX. The impedance of the passive filter is designed so that when the transmission line has a target impedance, such as the impedance of an ideal twisted pair, the TXA output signal of the passive filter adequately offsets the TX signal echo in RXA. A control circuit monitors the residual echo in the output signal and, when the transmission line impedance varies from its target value so that the passive filter alone cannot provide adequate echo cancellation, the control circuit turns on the first and/or second active filters to provide additional echo cancellation. The frequency responses of the active filters are adjustable to accommodate a variety of transmission line impedances.
US08045697B1

A method and apparatus for interfacing a customer with a call center allows information obtained from a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag to be transmitted to the call center to provide additional information about the customer and allow the session to be routed within the call center more accurately. The call center may be accessed by telephone, computer, or via another type of customer premises equipment over a voice or data network. The RFID tag may be an identification tag provided to the customer for access to the call center or may be a tag associated with the customer and not specific to the call center. The call center may route calls based on routing information contained in the RFID tag information, customer identity and previous sessions with that customer, personal and demographic information and statistical support records for other sessions involving customers with similar personal and demographic information, and according to agent statistical support records.
US08045695B2

A system is described for determining the active copresence of users during interactions. The system may include a processor, a memory, and an interface. The memory may store a degree of active copresence. The interface may communicate with a user. The processor may identify a primary interaction of the user. The processor may determine whether the user engages in a secondary interaction while the user is engaged in the primary interaction. The processor may determine the degree of active copresence of the user during the primary interaction based on a quality score of the primary interaction and a quality score of the secondary interaction. The degree of active copresence may represent the level of engagement of the user during the primary interaction. The processor may provide the degree of active copresence to the user via the interface.
US08045689B2

A method of screening a call from a calling party to a called party, the calling party being connected to a communication network through a first line, the called party being connected to said communication network through a second line, includes sending a notification to a screening terminal which is connected to the communication network through a third line other than the second line when a voice message is being recorded by the calling party in a voice mailbox associated with the called party.
US08045686B2

The preferred embodiments described herein include a system and method for providing a backup-restore solution for active-standby service management systems. In one embodiment, a telecommunication system is disclosed having first and second service management systems (SMS), a storage device shared by the first and second SMSs and circuitry operative to provide backup/restore functionality. This provides system redundancy in that the second SMS can perform the same functions as the first SMS in the event that the first SMS is unavailable due to, for example, system failures, a scheduled maintenance, or an upgrade process. Other embodiments are provided, and each of the embodiments described herein can be used alone or in combination with one another.
US08045674B2

Aspects of a method and system for use of true single phase clock (TSPC) logic for a high-speed multi-modulus divider in a phase locked loop (PLL) are provided. A fractional-N PLL synthesizer may comprise a divider that generates a divider signal from a VCO output reference signal. The divider may comprise at least one divider stage that utilizes true single phase clock (TSCP) logic D flip-flops. The first divider stage may operate at substantially the same frequency as that of the VCO signal. The divider may also re-synchronize the VCO signal and the divider signal by using at least two re-synchronization stages that utilize a TSCP logic D flip-flop and a stage for adjusting duty-duty cycle of the divider signal. The TSCP logic D flip-flops circuitry may be integrated with a two-input NAND gate or a three-input NAND gate to speed up the operation of the divider.
US08045667B2

A deserializer including a plurality of registers, a sync detector, and a lost bit storage unit. If there is a phase difference between an external input data packet and a recovery clock signal transmitted together with the data packet, the sync detector generates an activated sync detect signal. The lost bit storage unit detects a data bit of the data packet corresponding to an activation point of the sync detect signal. The deserializer recovers the data packet by combining the detected data bit with the data packet.
US08045664B2

A clock/data recovery device 1 comprises a sampler 10, a detector 20, an offset determination part 30, a clock output part 40, and a DA converter 50. The phases of clock signals CK and CKX are adjusted so as to match with the phase of an input digital signal. An offset amount (±Voff) added in the sampler 10 is adjusted so as to match with a peak time of a data transition time distribution of a first signal in a case where a value D(n−1) is HIGH level, and is adjusted so as to match with a peak time of a data transition time distribution of a second signal in a case where the value D(n−1) is LOW level. Either of the clock signals CK and CKX is outputted as the recovered clock signal. Time series data of a digital value D(n) is outputted as the recovered data.
US08045661B2

A system for, and method of, blind identification of multichannel finite impulse response filters. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a decomposition generator configured to construct, from noisy symbols containing data, a block-Hankel structured matrix and a decomposition thereof, (2) an iterative matrix re-estimator coupled to the decomposition generator and configured iteratively to re-estimate singular vectors corresponding to a scalar that satisfies the block-Hankel matrix until a sufficient convergence occurs, (3) a structured low-rank estimate matrix generator coupled to the iterative matrix re-estimator and configured to generate a block-Hankel structured low-rank estimate matrix related to the block-Hankel structured matrix and (4) an STLS channel estimator coupled to the structured low-rank estimate matrix generator and configured to obtain STLS channel estimates from the block-Hankel structured low-rank estimate matrix.
US08045660B1

A method for reducing interference, comprising receiving a wideband signal, having at least one large amplitude component; adaptively modifying the wideband signal with respect to at least one high intensity component without substantial introduction of non-linear distortion, while reducing a residual dynamic range thereof; digitizing the modified wideband signal to capture information describing at least the high intensity signal at a sampling rate sufficient to extract modulated information present within the wideband signal at an upper limit of the band. The system analyzes a spectral characteristic of the wideband signal; and extracts adaptation parameters for the adaptive filtering. The system therefore provides both large net dynamic range and wideband operation. Preferably, the digitizer and filter, and part of the spectral characteristic analyzer is implemented in using superconducting circuit technology, with, for example low temperature superconducting digital signal processing components, and high temperature superconducting analog filtering components.
US08045647B2

A receiver circuit according to the invention includes a first phase transmission unit that is synchronized with a first clock, detects input data according to a plurality of detection levels, and transmits a first output signal, a first discharging control unit that controls a second phase transmission unit in response to the first output signal and adjusts the transmission speed of the second phase transmission unit by changing a node potential where an output of the second phase transmission is determined, and the second phase transmission unit that is synchronized with a second clock, detects the input data according to an output of the first discharging control unit, and transmits a second output signal.
US08045646B2

Provided are an apparatus for estimating a phase error and a phase error correcting system using the phase error estimating apparatus. The apparatus includes: a probability value estimating unit for estimating a negative log probability value for each transmission symbol by transforming a soft output information transferred from the outside to a log A posterior probability ratio (LAPPR) value; an APP value calculating unit for calculating a posterior probability (APP) value by applying a negative exponential function to the transmission symbol; an average value deciding unit for deciding an average value for each transmission symbol using the probability information entirely, partially, or selectively according to a probability information type; and a symbol phase estimating unit for estimating a phase of a symbol based on the decided average value.
US08045644B2

A radio communication system that uses multiple antennas to transmit signals to a plurality of mobile terminals, and that measures the reception quality of each signal that is transmitted from each antenna on a transmitting side and received by the mobile terminal, determines a main antenna based on that reception quality for real-time communication, calculates multi-dimension correlation between the main antenna and other antennas, selects resources where the multi-dimension correlation is lower than a set value, feeds back data to the transmitting side indicating the main antenna, low correlation resources and reception qualities, designates antennas having resources of low correlation as diversity antennas, and performs diversity transmission from the transmitting side of signals to the mobile station using those diversity antennas and the main antenna.
US08045640B2

The invention relates to a method for demodulating information emitted by amplitude modulation with two levels by a reader (2) to a transponder (4), comprising a step to determine if this symbol is identical to or is different from the previous symbol, after each symbol.
US08045633B2

In a receiver for processing OFDM encoded signals, wherein the OFDM encoded digital signals are transmitted by means of a symbol in each of subcarrier frequency channels, with at least some of said subcarriers containing user data symbols, an initial estimate of a channel frequency response is formed from magnitudes of user data symbols received in those subcarriers. Then, a correlation function of a channel impulse response is estimated by performing an inverse Fourier transform on the initial estimate of the channel frequency response, and the length of the channel impulse response is estimated by examining peaks in the estimated correlation function of the channel impulse response.
US08045627B2

The invention relates to a method for reducing the crest factor of a data symbol to be transmitted in a multi-carrier data transmission system, in which the data symbol to be transmitted is a function of a multiplicity of signals provided within a predetermined data frame and each of these signals is allocated to a carrier, each carrier occupying in each case at least one frequency from a transmit data spectrum, at least one carrier being reserved which is not provided for the data transmission and the predetermined data frame exhibiting the data symbol and a prefix which is derived from a part of the data symbol, in which peak values within the prefix are also taken into consideration for reducing the crest factor.
US08045620B2

According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes a vector calculation module, a major vector detection module, and an interpolation frame generation module. The vector calculation module calculates motion vectors of pixel blocks of a frame of moving picture data. The major vector detection module detects as a major vector, motion vectors with the same direction and the same magnitude which have the ratio of the number of the motion vectors with the same direction and the same magnitude to the number of the motion vectors of the frame, the ratio being greater than a predetermined value. The interpolation frame generation module generates an interpolation frame inserted between a processing frame and a preceding frame preceding the processing frame. The motion vector calculation module calculates the motion vectors based on the major vector corresponding to the preceding frame.
US08045618B2

A method for transcoding from an MPEG-2 format to a VC-1 format is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of (A) decoding an input video stream in the MPEG-2 format to generate a picture; (B) determining a mode indicator for the picture; and (C) coding the picture into an output video stream in the VC-1 format using one of (i) a VC-1 field mode coding and (ii) a VC-1 frame mode coding as determined from the mode indicator.
US08045608B2

In described embodiments, an adaptive equalizer employed by a receiver in a communication channel, such as Fibre Channel, employs pattern recognition. When a repeating pattern, such as an IDLE or ARBFF pattern, is employed by a standard to, for example, maintain a communication link, an equalizer of the receiver might adaptively set its equalizer parameters based on characteristics of the signal energy of the repeating pattern rather than adaptively set its equalizer parameters based on characteristics of the signal energy of generally random user data carried on the link. Pattern recognition by the receiver allows for maintaining adaptive equalizer parameters at settings preferred for data detection of the typical random data, improving data detection performance of the receiver when the channel transitions from a preset or synchronization repeating pattern to a user random data pattern.
US08045594B2

A surface-emitting extended cavity laser with intracavity frequency conversion is provided with at least one surface-emitting laser element with multiple layers to obtain laser light at a fundamental frequency, reflector means, spaced from the laser element to form an external cavity, a frequency conversion device, arranged within the external cavity to generate light at a second frequency and tunable optical band-pass filter means, arranged within the external cavity and detector means, where said optical band-pass filter means are tunable upon a signal, which is obtained by the detector means to enable a frequency control at the fundamental frequency.
US08045593B2

A method of controlling a frequency-converted laser source is provided where the laser source comprises a laser cavity, an external optical feedback component, a wavelength selective component, and a wavelength conversion device and the method comprises driving a gain section of the laser cavity with a gain signal that comprises a data component and a modulation component. The modulation component of the gain signal comprises a gain modulation amplitude IMOD that is sufficient to shift the available cavity modes in the spectral domain such that lasing at several different cavity modes sequentially is established as the gain signal is modulated.
US08045578B2

Provided is a method and apparatus for controlling an event of a cable modem and reporting a status of the cable modem, the method including: determining whether to periodically allocate a transmission bandwidth of a CM-STATUS message with respect to an event occurrence of the cable modem; setting an event control encoding that includes information regarding whether to periodically allocate the transmission bandwidth; and generating a MAC Domain Descriptor (MDD) message containing the event control encoding to transmit the generated MDD message.
US08045574B2

Wireless medium access in a communication network having a number of terminals is controlled by defining protocol message units for transmission by a given terminal which units correspond to operational states of at least one of the terminal and the medium. A number of time slots are allocated for transmission of packets from each terminal, and a number of contention opportunities are defined at the beginning of each time slot. Priority and backoff mechanisms are defined and applied at each terminal during the contention opportunities in the slots. Packets are then transmitted by the terminal within the slots while (1) minimizing the occurrence of empty slots at times when packets are available for transmission, and (2) minimizing the number of slots during which two or more packets are detected on the medium simultaneously at the terminal.
US08045573B2

An on-chip integrated circuit interconnect 16 uses a serialization technique to divide a transaction to be transmitted into a sequence of transmission packets which are serially transmitted over a narrower connection. The order in which bits of the transaction are allocated to transmission packets is selected such that higher priority bits required by a receiving slave device in order that it can commence processing the transaction are sent first. This reduces the latency of the system.
US08045570B2

A virtual private network is provided across a Provider Link State Bridging (PLSB) network between a first node connected to a private LAN and a second node connected to a roaming device. The roaming device is authenticated. A successful authentication results in a Service Identifier for the VPN being sent to the second node. Connectivity between members of the VPN service instance is maintained as part of the PLSB Link State process for forwarding table maintenance, rather than by any form of explicit signalling. A single Customer Virtual Bridge/Virtual Switch Instance can be located at the first node to provide point-to-point connectivity to each roaming device. A virtual Residential Gateway function can be combined with the Customer Virtual Bridge/Virtual Switch Instance.
US08045569B1

An access router includes a wireless network interface, an address assignment module, and an availability module. The wireless network interface establishes a wireless link with a wireless terminal. The address assignment module determines a list of packet data networks for use by the wireless terminal. The availability module determines a mobile internet protocol availability for each packet data network in the list of packet data networks and generates an availability signal based on each mobile internet protocol availability. The address assignment module transmits an address assignment message that includes the availability signal to the wireless terminal.
US08045567B2

Network System and Method for facilitating message exchange between mobile subscribers belonging to the same or different public land mobile networks, possibly incorporating different standards. Message exchange between two subscribers of the same or different networks may involve one or more lookups on subscription data, zero or more message transformations, one or more routing decisions including application of costing functions, and, storage and propagation of the message in one or more Core or Intermediary networks. The messages may be of type, among others, SMS (Short Message Service), MMS (Multimedia Message Service), or EMAIL.
US08045559B2

A datagram relaying apparatus includes a plurality of protocol terminating units, and a destination determining processor. The destination determining processor includes a path selecting section which determines a transfer destination route for a stream of packets received from any of the protocol terminating units. The path selecting section determines whether or not transfer of the received stream of packets to the transfer destination route is in an inhibition state, and selects another transfer destination route when the transfer of the packet to the transfer destination route is in the inhibition state.
US08045556B2

Apparatus and method for sending a multicast packet in a mobile digital broadcast system are provided. The mobile digital broadcast system includes a broadcaster for indicating the designated recipient in an Internet Protocol (IP) header of a multicast packet and including a temporary IP address of the recipient in the IP header when multicasting data of a designated recipient; a receiver for providing the received multicast packet to an application program for outputting a digital broadcasting when the receiver joins a group of the multicast packet and the recipient is designated to the receiver upon receiving the multicast packet; and an IP allocating server for allocating a temporary IP address when the receiver requests to allocate the temporary IP address, storing the allocated temporary IP address and ID information of the receiver, and sending the allocated temporary IP address and the ID information of the receiver to the broadcaster.
US08045555B2

A method and apparatus for tunnel packet optimization is provided. A method for communications node operation where the communications node is at a beginning of a tunnel includes receiving a message from a communications device at an end of the tunnel, processing a packet having a first source address and a first destination address, and encapsulating the packet with an outer header having a second source address and a second destination address, thereby producing a tunnel packet. The message includes a flow label related to the first source address and the first destination address. The method also includes compacting the tunnel packet based on a tunnel optimization (TO) state, and transmitting the tunnel packet towards the second destination address. The second destination address includes an address of the communications device at the end of the tunnel.
US08045554B2

Provided are a method of and apparatus for processing a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag frame. The apparatus includes a filtering data base (FDB) for storing a VLAN tag frame which is created by a gigabit passive optical network (GPON) master; an uplink processing unit for removing by referring to the FDB a VLAN tag from the VLAN tag frame which is received from the GPON master, and transmitting a data frame to an Ethernet switch; and a downlink processing unit for inserting by looking up the FDB a VLAN tag into the data frame which is received from the Ethernet switch, and then transmitting the data frame to the GPON master. According to the present invention, port identification (ID) information that is lost in a GPON master may be provided to a switch above the GPON master by using a VLAN tag frame processing technology.
US08045528B2

A feedback method for performing a feedback by using a codebook in Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system includes receiving, by the mobile station, a MIMO mode type information, generating feedback information by using the codebook selected according to the MIMO mode type information, and transmitting the feedback information to the base station. The codebook includes a SU-MIMO codebook and a MU-MIMO codebook, and the MU-MIMO codebook is formed by extracting codebook elements from the SU-MIMO codebook. As a result, the method maximizes a system throughput simultaneously while effectively reducing an amount of feedback information.
US08045527B2

The invention is directed towards a method of estimating the load on a cell in a wireless network as well as to a cell load estimating device. According to the invention a 5 determination (46) is made of a value (R) indicative of the degree of use, by a mobile station provided in a set of mobile stations connected to a cell, of a communication link provided for this mobile station during a communication session. Based on this value an adjusted link quality value (L-ADJUST) is provided (54) for the mobile station, which is then used when determining the cell load.
US08045526B2

A method for selecting a wireless coverage sector to serve a mobile station, such as in response to a handoff request that designates a sector-identifier that represents two or more possible sectors. A serving radio access network (RAN) may identify potential sectors in the region and may then select the sector whose azimuth is closest to the geographic bearing of the mobile station from the sector's base station. Further, in the event of a tie between two or more sectors or in other circumstances, the RAN may also take into consideration how close the mobile station is to various base stations, such as selecting the sector to whose base station the mobile station is closest. In a system that uses neighbor lists to govern handoff, the invention can help to facilitate handoff in a scenario where a mobile station requests handoff to a sector not listed in the mobile station's neighbor list.
US08045525B1

Provided is a method and apparatus for handover data integrity of a mobile station in a wireless data network with a plurality of wireless network service areas. The method and apparatus includes initiation of a handover by a mobile station, identifying at least one target access network (ASN) for handover from a serving ASN that services wireless data communications with the mobile station. When at least one target ASN is identified, receiving a data integrity capability from the at least one target ASN. With the received data integrity capability, determining whether a direct data delivery mode is available as a data integrity mode based upon the received data integrity capability. When the direct data delivery mode is available as a data integrity mode, direct data delivery if performed with the data associated with the service flow from the serving ASN to the at least one target ASN. When the direct data delivery is accomplished, the mobile station handover is completed from the serving ASN to one of the target ASNs.
US08045516B2

A target base station transmits a traffic assignment signal a plurality of times to a control station for notifying a traffic amount of downlink data that can be processed by the target base station, after a notified cell change timing in which the mobile station changes a communicating base station.
US08045506B2

In an overlay, U-TDOA-based, Wireless Location System, LMUs typically co-located with BTSs, are used to collect radio signaling both in the forward and reverse channels. Techniques are used to compensate for sparse LMU deployments where sections of the U-TDOA service area are uplink demodulation or downlink beacon discovery limited.
US08045503B2

A method for an Access Terminal (AT) in a 1x network to establish an High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) network packet data service includes: initiating, by the AT, a session establishment request to a target Access Network/Packet Control Function (AN/PCF) of an HRPD network; establishing, by the target AN/PCF, an HRPD session with the AT after obtaining session information of an existing HRPD session; performing, by the target AN/PCF and the AT, session configuration based on the obtained session information, and establishing a data connection for the packet data service. In the present invention, an AT in the 1x network can establish a packet data service with an HRPD network when there is an existing packet data session in the HRPD network. The present invention is advantageous for seamless service handoff between the 1x network and the HRPD network, thereby realizing complement of the two networks and improving user experience.
US08045496B2

A wireless communication method in a system in which subscriber stations are each operable for communication with a base station is provided. The base station is capable of performing simultaneous communications with a plurality of the subscriber stations simultaneously by exchange of packets each conforming with a layered protocol of said system. The packets include a first portion for defining physical layer (PHY) parameters and a second portion for defining media access layer (MAC) parameters. Furthermore, communications between the subscriber stations and the base station are performed wholly or partly through at least one relay station. In this system, the method includes, in the relay station, receiving a plurality of packets from the subscriber stations, detecting the second portion of each of the packets, combining the detected second portions to form a second portion of at least one new packet, and transmitting the new packet to the base station.
US08045488B2

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) data is obtained via network switch (SNMP) queries to enhance identification of switch-to-switch links in Layer-2 mapping. In particular, by analyzing the STP data, ambiguity in determining switch uplink ports may be reduced. Specifically, the STP data can be used in conjunction with other topography data to provide Layer-2 connectivity for nodes on a network topology. Layer-2 address mapping tables are collected from a topology mapping, and STP data is collected, along with address translation tables (ARP) tables. Using this information, switches are identified using Layer-2 address tables. The STP data can be correlated by comparing data in switches, identifying switch ports directly connected to other switch ports, and eliminating direct switch-to-switch port connections from consideration for further Layer-2 node mappings.
US08045487B2

The present invention discloses a method for implementing multicast in RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol) ring network. In the method, the port mode of a program is configured to a fixed port mode, a root port binding mode or an upper layer querier port following mode; a multicast module on access equipment traverses a program table on receiving a root port switching message, updates the corresponding port of each program whose mode is configured to the root port binding mode as the changed root port; or on receiving an IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) QUERY packet from a port which is different from a recorded global querier port, the multicast module updates the global querier port as the port receiving the IGMP QUERY packet, traverses the program table, and updates the corresponding port of each program whose mode is configured to the upper layer querier port following mode as the port receiving the IGMP QUERY packet.
US08045485B2

The invention provides a technique improving the reliability of acquisition of management information from a network device. A monitoring apparatus has a network device identifier extraction unit configured to extract a network device identifier to identify a network device in the network from communication data sent over the network by the network device, the network device identifier assigned to the network device being changeable over time; an individual identification information acquiring unit configured to acquire an individual identification information from a specific network device that is identified by the network device identifier, the individual identification information uniquely and universally identifying the network device; a monitoring subject determination unit configured to determine whether the specific network device is a monitoring subject device that is subject to monitoring, based on the individual identification information; and a management information acquiring unit configured to acquire a management information from the specific network device when the specific network device is determined to be a monitoring subject device, the management information being an information relating to the specific network device and changing over time.
US08045480B2

A communication system in which a profile of codecs is loaded at the originating end. The originating end sends the profile of codecs to the terminating end and receives in return an indication of which codec to use. The originating end and the terminating end create a reduced profile that includes the codec identified by the terminating side and its peers. The peers are codecs that use the same amount of resources as the selected codec or that use less resources than the selected codec. Even though the reduced profile includes more than one codec, packets are coded and decoded using only the codec identified by a bit map that is available to the DSP channel at both the originating end and the terminating end. At a later time a change can be made to a different codec in the reduced profile by changing the bitmap and without closing and re-opening the channel.
US08045472B2

In one embodiment, a receiver on a credit-based flow-controlled interface is configured to free one or more data credits early when a data payload is received that incurs fewer unused data credits within a buffer memory that is allocated at a coarser granularity than the data credits. In another embodiment, header credits and data credits are dynamically adjusted based on actual packet data payload sizes.
US08045464B1

With the widespread adoption of SIP-based VoIP, understanding the characteristics of SIP traffic behavior is critical to problem diagnosis and security protection of VoIP services. A general methodology is provided for profiling SIP-based VoIP traffic behavior at several levels: SIP server host, server entity (e.g., registrar and call proxy) and individual user levels. Using SIP traffic traces captured in a production VoIP network, the characteristics of SIP-based VoIP traffic behavior in an operational environment is illustrated and the effectiveness of the general profiling methodology is demonstrated. In particular, the profiling methodology identifies anomalies due to performance problems and/or implementation flaws through a case study. The efficacy of the methodology in detecting potential VoIP attacks is also demonstrated through a test bed experimentation.
US08045460B2

A method and system for detecting routing loops and time-to-live (TTL) expiry attacks in a telecommunications network are disclosed. The detection of routing loops and TTL expiry attacks can be achieved based on the comparison of TTL expiries occurring on two or more routers in the network. A quantity of TTL expiries associated with a router can be summed. Additionally, a quantity of TTL expiries associated with other routers that are operatively coupled to the router can be summed. A difference between the sums can be calculated and a determination of whether a routing loop exists can be made in response to the difference.
US08045459B2

A packet processing method used in a wireless communication is disclosed to have the packet data not to contain the identification code of the transmitter and to let the receiver read out the correct identification code of the transmitter and verify the effectiveness of the data, assuring excellent confidentiality of the data, reducing packet size, maintaining packet data integrity, extending wireless communication distance and saving power consumption. Under the fix bit error rate, the invention effectively reduces the chance of erroneous data and lowers the current loading to the battery of each of the transmitter and the receiver.
US08045455B1

A method of providing location based service information in a situational network includes establishing the situational network linking a plurality of individuals in response to an indication of an occurrence of a situation. Information related to availability of a service at a plurality of service locations affected by the situation is received, where the service is provided by one or more of a plurality of service providers An individual location associated with each of the plurality of individuals is determined. The available service locations that are in closest proximity to the individual location of the respective individuals is transmitting to each of the individuals based on the availability of the service.
US08045450B1

A physical layer module includes a mapping module and a plurality of gain modules. The mapping module maps a plurality of coded data streams to a plurality of transmit antennas, in which each transmit antenna is associated with a respective radio frequency channel of a plurality of radio frequency channels. Each gain module is associated with a respective radio frequency channel of the plurality of radio frequency channels, and is configured to apply a complex gain to the coded data stream mapped to the respective radio frequency channel associated with the gain module. The complex gain applied by the gain module differs relative to that applied by other gain modules, and corresponds to the transmit antenna associated with the respective radio frequency channel.
US08045444B2

The invention relates to a method of controlling movements of a positioner of a micro-scanner, the method comprising: determining the vibration resonance frequency ranges of the positioner, and performing a main scan by a controlled movement of the positioner.
US08045443B2

An optical pickup apparatus comprising: a laser-light source that selectively emits first and second laser lights parallel with each other; a diffraction grating that includes a plurality of periodic structures joined to be different in phase from each other in a direction optically corresponding to an optical-disc-tracking direction, and generates 0th-order and ±1st-order-diffracted lights by diffracting the first or second laser light; an objective lens that focuses the 0th-order and ±1st-order-diffracted lights generated from the diffraction grating on the same track of the disc; and a photodetector to which reflected light of the 0th-order and ±1st-order-diffracted lights focused on an optical disc is applied through the objective lens, and which generates a differential-push-pull signal, a direction of a straight line connecting light-emitting points of the first and second laser lights in the laser-light source being inclined relative to the direction optically corresponding to the optical-disc-tracking direction in the diffraction grating.
US08045441B2

In a multilayer optical disc having information layers conforming to a plurality of different optical disc standards, because the type of each information layer is not recorded in the other information layers, in read and write operations by a compatible optical disc device conforming to a plurality of optical disc standards, every time the information layer being accessed changes, it has been necessary to read the type of the information layer and select a method of generating a tracking error signal adapted to the type of information layer, so access has taken time. In order to solve the above problem, in the optical multilayer disc according to the present invention, having information layers conforming to a plurality of different optical disc standards, in an area in one of the information layers, information about the other information layers is recorded. The time required to access the other information layers can be reduced by using this information to select a tracking error signal generating method.
US08045435B2

When an optical disc apparatus of the present invention writes to an optical disc, it detects the level of the drive voltage for its laser drive circuit and, based on the detected level, adjusts the drive voltage for its laser diode so as to adjust the drive voltage for the laser drive circuit to a level within an appropriate range. Further, the write speed is also adjusted in accordance with the above adjustment of the drive voltages for the laser drive circuit and the laser diode.
US08045433B2

A pickup apparatus including: at least a coil constituting an actuator, a signal to be sent to the coil being obtained by calculation using an algorithm on the basis of at least one of a focus error signal and a tracking error signal.
US08045432B2

Light emitted from a radiation light source 1 passes through a diffraction grating 3a and is separated into transmitted light a and +1st/−1st order diffracted lights b, c. These lights are collected through an objective lens 7 on tracks of an optical disc 8 in a partially overlapped state. Light reflected by the tracks passes through the objective lens 7 and is incident upon light diverging means 13a. Subsequently, light corresponding to the transmitted light “a” diverges into two light beams that are respectively incident upon light detection regions A1, A2, light corresponding to the diffracted lights “b” and “c” respectively diverges into two light beams that are respectively incident upon light detection regions B1, B2, and C1, C2. A tracking error signal associated with the tracks of the optical disc 8 is generated by combining signals detected in the light detection regions A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2.
US08045429B2

In a content reproducing system (1), which includes: a program judging unit (31) that judges whether or not a BD-J program being executed is a continuing program when an eject operation for a BD is detected during reproduction control in which reproduction of a content is controlled by execution of the BD-J program; and a reproduction control management unit (21) that causes the reproduction control performed by the BD-J program to be stopped if the BD-J program is not the continuing program and performs switching to the reproduction control for the content based on any one of media excluding the BD (41), the reproduction control based on execution of the continuing program is continued if the BD-J program is the continuing program.
US08045427B2

An optical pickup includes a light source configured to emit light, a beam splitter configured to transmit or reflect light, an object lens configured to condense the light transmitted by the beam splitter onto an optical storage, and a diffraction grating having a first grating pattern and a second grating pattern. The first grating pattern is configured to diffract and divide the light reflected by the optical storage into a main beam and two sub beams. The second grating pattern is configured to diffract the light along a different diffracting direction than the first grating pattern. A condensing lens is configured to generate astigmatism to the light diffracted by the first grating pattern, and a light sensor is configured to receive the light via the condensing lens and detect a tracking error signal.
US08045423B2

A search method of efficiently retrieving information is provided.A search light 21 is generated from a search condition (S1). The search light is irradiated onto a hologram 104a recorded in a hologram recording layer 104 (S2). When the search light interferes with the hologram and a reproduction light is generated, address information of the hologram from which the reproduction light is generated is identified using an address light 23 that reads the address information. The identified address light is recorded (S3). When the search light does not generate the reproduction light from the hologram, the search light is irradiated onto another hologram 104b recorded in the hologram recording layer.
US08045413B2

A Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) performs read, write, and refresh operations. The DRAM includes a plurality of sub-arrays, each having a plurality of memory cells, each of which is coupled with a complementary bit line pair and a word line. The DRAM further includes a word line enable device for asserting a selected one of the word lines and a column select device for asserting a selected one of the bit line pairs. A timing circuit is provided for controlling the word line enable device, the column select device, and the read, write, and refresh operations in response to a word line timing pulse. The read, write, and refresh operation are performed in the same amount of time.
US08045406B2

A latency circuit for use in a semiconductor memory device includes a latency control clock generator generating an m-divided division signal from an external clock and at least one latency control clock from the m-divided division signal, wherein m is a natural number greater than or equal to 2. The latency circuit also includes a latency signal generator generating a latency signal in response to the at least one latency control clock, a latency control signal and an internal read command signal, wherein the latency control signal is generated from a column address strobe (CAS) latency and the internal read command signal is generated in response to a received read command.
US08045404B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array having a plurality of memory cells coupled between a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit line pairs, a bit line selection circuit configured to transmit data between a selected bit line pair and a local input/output line pair in response to a column selection signal, a local global input/output gate circuit configured to transmit data between the local input/output line pair and a global input/output line pair in response to a local global input/output selection signal, and a controller configured to drive the word lines, output the column selection signal having a first voltage level to the bit line selection circuit, and output the local global input/output selection signal having a second voltage level that is lower than the first voltage level to the local global input/output gate circuit, in response to an external address signal and an external command.
US08045403B2

A programming method applied to a memory is provided. The memory includes a number of memory cells. The method includes the following steps. A target cell of the memory cells is programmed in response to a first programming command. The target cell is programmed in response to a second programming command.
US08045402B2

A data store and method of storing data is disclosed that comprises: an input for receiving a data value; at least one storage cell comprising: a feedback loop for storing the data value; an output for outputting the stored data value; the feedback loop receiving a higher voltage and a lower voltage as power supply, the data store further comprising: a voltage supply for powering the data store, the voltage supply outputting a high voltage level and a low voltage level; write assist circuitry arranged between the voltage supply and the at least one storage cell, the write assist circuitry being responsive to a pulse signal to provide a discharge path between the high voltage level and a lower voltage level and thereby generate a reduced internal voltage level from the high voltage level for a period dependent on a width of the pulse signal, the reduced internal voltage level being lower than the high voltage level, such that when powered the feedback loop receives the reduced internal voltage level as the higher voltage for a period determined by the pulse width and the high voltage level at other times; and pulse signal generation circuitry for generating said pulse signal.
US08045400B2

A circuit for controlling the read cycle includes plurality of shift stages configured to sequentially shift read signals; and an activating unit configured to activate a read cycle signal which represents a read cycle, by performing logical operation for output signals of the plurality of the shift stages, wherein the plurality of the shift stages are configured to sequentially shift the read signals for a period corresponding to burst setting information.
US08045391B2

In sensing a group of cells in a multi-state nonvolatile memory, multiple sensing cycles relative to different demarcation threshold levels are needed to resolve all possible multiple memory states. Each sensing cycle has a sensing pass. It may also include a pre-sensing pass or sub-cycle to identify the cells whose threshold voltages are below the demarcation threshold level currently being sensed relative to. These are higher current cells which can be turned off to achieve power-saving and reduced source bias errors. The cells are turned off by having their associated bit lines locked out to ground. A repeat sensing pass will then produced more accurate results. Circuitry and methods are provided to selectively enable or disable bit-line lockouts and pre-sensing in order to improving performance while ensuring the sensing operation does not consume more than a maximum current level.
US08045385B2

Methods of operating a charge trap nonvolatile memory device include operations to erase a first string of nonvolatile memory cells by selectively erasing even-numbered nonvolatile memory cells in the first string and then selectively erasing the odd-numbered nonvolatile memory cells in the first string, which may be interleaved with the even-numbered nonvolatile memory cells. This operation to selectively erase the even-numbered nonvolatile memory cells may include erasing the even-numbered nonvolatile memory cells while simultaneously biasing the odd-numbered nonvolatile memory cells in a blocking condition that inhibits erasure of the odd-numbered nonvolatile memory cells. The operation to selectively erase the odd-numbered nonvolatile memory cells may include erasing the odd-numbered nonvolatile memory cells while simultaneously biasing the even-numbered nonvolatile memory cells in a blocking condition that inhibits erasure of the even-numbered nonvolatile memory cells.
US08045370B2

A magnetic tunnel junction memory apparatus and self-reference read and write assist schemes are described. One method of self-reference reading a magnetic tunnel junction memory unit includes applying a first read current through a magnetic tunnel junction data cell to form a first bit line read voltage, then applying a first magnetic field through the magnetic tunnel junction data cell forming a magnetic field modified magnetic tunnel junction data cell, and then applying a second read current thorough the magnetic field modified magnetic tunnel junction data cell to form a second bit line read voltage. The first read current being less than the second read current. Then comparing the first bit line read voltage with the second bit line read voltage to determine whether the magnetic tunnel junction data cell was in a high resistance state or a low resistance state. Methods of applying a magnetic field to the MTJ and then writing the desired resistance state are also disclosed.
US08045368B2

A phase-change memory device performs a buffer program operation in response to a buffer program command sequence. The phase-change memory device includes a page buffer unit configured to store a plurality of input data corresponding to a word count value of a buffer program command sequence and selectively output the stored input data in response to a selection signal, and a page buffer control unit configured to generate the selection signal determined by counting a value representing the word count value.
US08045367B2

A phase change memory with a primary memory array, a reference memory array, and a comparison circuit is provided. The electrical characteristic curve of the recording layers of the primary memory units is different from the electrical characteristic curve of the recording layers of the reference memory units. The primary memory array includes at least one primary memory unit to generate at least one sensing signal, wherein each of the primary memory units includes at least one recording layer can be programmed to a first resistance and a second resistance. The reference memory array includes at least one reference memory unit to generate at least one reference signal, wherein each of the reference memory units includes at least one recording layer can be programmed to change its resistance. The comparison circuit compares the sensing signal and the reference signal to generate a comparison result.
US08045362B2

A semiconductor memory device comprising: a memory cell array in which memory cells each containing a variable resistive element and a rectifier element connected in series are arranged at intersections of a plurality of first wirings and a plurality of second wirings; and a control circuit for selectively driving said first wirings and said second wirings; wherein said control circuit applies a first voltage to said selected first wiring, and changes said first voltage based on the position of said selected memory cell within said memory cell array to apply a second voltage to said selected second wiring, so that a predetermined potential difference is applied to a selected memory cell arranged at the intersection between said selected first wiring and said selected second wiring.
US08045357B2

A memory includes a memory cell array including destructive read-out type memory cells; a decoder selecting a cell; a sense amplifier configured to detect the data; and a read and write controller controlling a read operation and a write operation, wherein the read and write controller outputs a logical value of a write enable signal at the start of the read operation in a first period and makes the write enable signal invalid after the read operation starts during the first period, on the basis of the write enable signal and a restore signal keeping an activated state during the first period, the write enable signal being a signal allowing the write operation, the first period being a period from when the read operation starts to when a restore operation for writing the data back to the memory cell is completed.
US08045356B2

Examples described include memory units coupled to a controller using a daisy chain wiring configuration. A filter located between a first memory unit and the controller attenuates a particular frequency, which may improve ringback in a signal received at the memory units. In some examples, a quarter-wavelength stub is used to implement the filter. In some examples, signal components at 800 MHz may be attenuated by a stub, which may improve ringback.
US08045355B2

A semiconductor memory device comprises a plurality of cell arrays, each cell array including a plurality of mutually parallel word lines, a plurality of mutually parallel bit lines disposed to cross these word lines, and a plurality of cells connected to the intersections of these word lines and bit lines, respectively, one portion of the cell arrays forming a memory cell array that has the cells as memory cells, and another portion of the cell arrays forming a reference cell array that has the cells as reference cells. A cell selection circuit is operative to select from the memory cell array a memory cell whose data is to be read, and to select from the reference cell array a reference cell at a position corresponding to a position of the memory cell selected in the memory cell array. A sense amplifier circuit is operative to detect and compare a current or a voltage of the selected memory cell with a current or a voltage of the selected reference cell, and thereby read data of the memory cell.
US08045353B2

A chip configuration for dual board voltage compatibility comprising ballast I/O pads, regulator control block and VDDCO pad. If 1.8V is available on board, all 1.8V pads are connected to the package pins and the VDDCO pad is double bonded with one 1.8V package pin. This ensures that the regulator is in operation providing 1.2V supply to the core. If 1.2V is available on board, all 1.2V pads are bonded to the package pins and VDDCO pad is left unbonded. A weak pulldown ensures that the regulator is inoperational and the gate voltage of ballast transistor is pulled up. Now 1.2V pads directly get supply from the board through package pins and is provided to the core without suffering IR drop.
US08045350B2

An n-phase transistor active bridge circuit (BC) connectable between at least two input lines (103, 105, 1051, 1053, 1055) and a pair of output lines (134, 136, 1057, 1059). The BC comprises a plurality of field-effect transistors (FETs) of the same channel type. The FETs (102, 104, 106, 108, 1010, 1012, 1014, 1016, 1018, 1020) are connected to convert an n-phase AC waveform (402, 1102, 1104, 1006) to a DC waveform (502, 1302). The n-phase AC waveform is applied to BC by a voltage source (101, 1002, 1004, 1006) coupled to the input lines. Gate drive circuits (170, 172, 174, 176, 1001a, 1001b, 1001c, 1003a, 1003b, 1003c) supply a voltage to gates (139, 143, 147, 151, 1024, 1034, 1044, 1054, 1064, 1074) of the FETs for switching the FETs to their “on” states or “off” states at predetermined times.
US08045349B2

A charge pump-type DC/DC converter is provided that steadily operates even when boosting reference voltage is low. A PMOS transistor for short-circuiting an output terminal of a charge pump of an initial stage with a booster reference voltage is provided to eliminate the influence of a parasitic diode of a PMOS transistor within the charge pump of the initial stage during build-up. The PMOS transistor is controlled by the voltage of another charge pump and the short-circuit described above is released by the increase of the output voltage of the other charge pump.
US08045346B2

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a system having multiple modular transformers each including a primary winding coupled to an input power source and phase-shifted secondary windings each coupled to a power cell. The system further includes different phase output lines coupled to a load. These lines may include first, second and third phase output lines.
US08045344B2

An inductor current flows through an inductor of a flyback converter. In a constant voltage mode, the pulse width of an inductor switch control signal is adjusted to maintain a constant output voltage of the flyback converter. The inductor switch control signal controls a switch through which the inductor current flows. In a constant current mode, a comparing circuit, a control loop and a clamp generator circuit are used to maintain the peak level of inductor current. The comparing circuit generates a timing signal based on the ramp-up rate of the inductor current. The control loop uses the timing signal and a feedback signal to generate a time error signal. The clamp generator circuit uses the time error signal to generate a clamp signal that adjusts the pulse width of the inductor switch control signal to clamp the peak current output by the flyback converter in the constant current mode.
US08045332B2

A circuit card clamp (300) including a base member (316), at least one first wedge member (446), and a thermally conductive membrane (350). The base member has an elongated shape configured for insertion in a circuit card chassis slot (106). The first wedge member is movable relative to the base member in response to a first actuator (304) for engaging the circuit card chassis slot. The thermally conductive membrane is coupled to the base member and the first wedge member. The thermally conductive membrane has slack for permitting the first wedge member to move relative to the base member between a first clamped position and a second unclamped position. The thermally conductive membrane defines a thermal conductive path (206) between a circuit card (104) and the chassis slot for releasably securing a circuit card in the circuit card chassis slot.
US08045330B2

A method and apparatus for providing an alternative power source for a graphics card are disclosed. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method, which includes the steps of laying a set of gold fingers on a printed circuit board according to an industrial standard bus interface, positioning a wire in a middle layer of the printed circuit board, attaching a first end of the wire to a specific gold finger, and attaching the alternative power source to a second end of the wire, wherein the second end of the wire is an electroplated contact protruded external to the printed circuit board.
US08045323B2

An electronic device has an opening in a case, a lid member that includes a first lid member having a pair of first engaging sections for putting a lid on the opening at its both ends, a second lid member that has a pair of second engaging sections engaging with the first engaging sections and slides on a main surface of the first lid member, and a projection disposed at an end of the sliding direction of the second lid member. The case has an engaging hole engaging with the projection disposed on the second lid member.
US08045321B2

A resin-coated aluminum alloy sheet material for an aluminum electrolytic capacitor case includes a resin layer that contains wax composed of at least one of polyethylene wax and carnauba wax, and has a thickness falling within a range from at least 2 μm to at most 22 μm. A total of lengths of wax particles, defined when the wax particles are cut along a straight line of 100 μm optionally drawn on the surface of the resin layer, is at least 10 μm. A number of the wax particles, featured by a cross-sectional shape having a size of at most 80% of the thickness of the resin layer and of at least 0.1 μm, is from at least 3 to at most 50. A number of the wax particles, featured by a cross-sectional shape featured by a major axis extent having a size of more than 80% of the thickness of the resin layer is less than 10.
US08045319B2

Disclosed are apparatus and methodology for providing controlled equivalent series resistance (ESR) decoupling capacitor designs having broad applicability to signal and power filtering technologies. Such capacitor designs provide characteristics for use in decoupling applications involving both signal level and power level environments. Controlled equivalent series resistance (ESR) is provided by providing extended length tab connections to active electrode layers within the device.
US08045313B2

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for controlling energy consumption in a system having a battery and including a controller and one or more solenoids. In accordance with the disclosure, the controller provides a controlling mechanism, such as a control algorithm, that will provide the necessary power to operate the one or more solenoids throughout the range of battery voltage in a manner that optimizes the voltage discharge from the battery and simultaneously maximizes battery life. Further power conservation measures are implemented by using a controller and an associated control algorithm to operate a solenoid throughout the range of battery voltage in a manner that places the discharge of the battery in reduced power consumption operating modes as the capacity of the battery is reduced.
US08045309B2

In order to protect Magnetic Energy Recovery Switch (MERS) against an overvoltage and an overcurrent a voltage detection unit is provided for detecting the capacitor voltage of the MERS and control means is provided to control so as to turn ON the switch of the discharge circuit connected in parallel with the capacitor to make the capacitor discharge the electric charge thereof when the output of the voltage detection unit exceeds a predetermined value. Moreover, a current detection unit is interposed between the AC power supply and the load for detecting the current flowing to the load, and the current limiting is carried out by making the duty ratio of the ON/OFF of the pulse of the gate control signals of the MERS switches smaller than 0.5, when the output of the current detection unit exceeds a predetermined value.
US08045307B2

A method of identifying fault conditions in a three phase power system includes monitoring the changes of both the current and voltage properties on a three phase power network. A maximum phase change value of both the current and voltage is determined. Either the voltage or the current values are selected, whichever includes the largest maximum phase change. Thereafter, the selected set of measurements is analyzed to determine whether a fault condition exists on any phase of the three phase power.
US08045303B2

A ground fault interrupter to be used by utility company while effecting repairs to the electrical service for a building is positioned to interrupt the power supply to the building in case of a detected ground fault and utilizes a sensor for detecting the fault current at the service entrance to a building; a contact switch, selectively movable between open and closed positions, mounted for temporary use in series with said power supply to the building; and a microprocessor based circuit for measuring and evaluating fault current detected by the sensor and controlling the selective movement of the contact switch between its open and closed positions.
US08045300B2

A free magnetic layer has a laminated structure in which a first magnetic sublayer composed of Co—Fe or Fe and a second magnetic sublayer composed of Co—Fe—B or Fe—B are formed, in that order, on an insulating barrier layer composed of Mg—O. This effectively improves the rate of change in resistance (ΔR/R) compared with the related art.
US08045298B2

A three terminal magnetic sensing device (TTM) having a trackwidth defined in a localized region by a patterned insulator, and methods of making the same, are disclosed. In one illustrative example, one or more first sensor layers (e.g. which includes a “base” layer) are formed over a collector substrate. A patterned insulator which defines a central opening exposing a top layer of the one or more first sensor layers is then formed. The central opening has a width for defining a trackwidth (TW) of the TTM. Next, one or more second sensor layers are formed over the top layer of the one or more first sensor layers through the central opening of the patterned insulator. The one or more second sensor layers may include a tunnel barrier layer formed in contact with the top layer of the one or more first sensor layers, as well as an “emitter” layer. Various embodiments and techniques are provided.
US08045292B2

A perpendicular magnetic recording head is provided capable of suppressing the magnetic field attributable to the edge write phenomenon and improving resistance to an external magnetic field. The perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a magnetic layer that has a main magnetic pole on a surface facing a recording medium; a return yoke layer that is disposed on the magnetic layer with a nonmagnetic layer disposed therebetween and has a large width in the direction of the main magnetic pole; and a coil layer for applying a recording magnetic field to the magnetic layer. The return yoke layer is provided with such a shape that as seen in the plan view, the return yoke layer is exposed from the medium facing surface with a width not greater than the width in the track width direction of a protrusion region of the return yoke layer that covers the coil layer and the width of the return yoke layer gradually increases in the height direction from the medium facing surface.
US08045290B2

A tape head assembly for writing data to and reading data from a tape includes a tape head member having an engagement surface that is configured to engage the tape as the tape moves past the tape head member. A plurality of arrays of interactive elements are supported on the engagement surface. Each array is longitudinally offset from each other array. Each individual array includes a read group having only read elements and a write group having only write elements. Each read group is laterally offset from each write group within each array.
US08045288B2

The present invention is directed to provide a tape drive capable of securely pressing and holding a thin-type or a thick-type loaded tape cartridge being different in case thicknesses, so as to be vertically immovable.The tape drive D accommodates within it a loading frame 28 for receiving and supporting each tape cartridge 40A, 40B being different in case thicknesses and a holder 29 for holding the tape cartridge 40A, 40B by pressing the cartridge. The side wall 31 of the loading frame is provided with a pair of upper and lower sensors 34, 35 for identifying the thin-type and the thick-type loaded tape cartridges. The holder 29 is displaced to a height position matching with the loaded tape cartridge 40A, 40B based on the tape cartridge size detected by the sensors 34, 35.
US08045276B2

A compact zoom lens with three lens groups and a design method thereof. Along the optical axis from the object side to the image side, the compact zoom lens with three lens groups includes a negative power first lens group having a negative power first lens and a positive power second lens, a positive power second lens group having a positive power third lens, a negative power fourth lens leaned with the third lens and a positive power fifth lens, and a third lens group having a positive power sixth lens. The zoom lens matches requirements of optical properties for aberration correction. Minimum change of the distance between the first lens of the first lens group and the image forming plane from the WIDE position to the TELE position is used as the objective function of optimization.
US08045275B2

A compact wide-angle zoom lens and an image pickup device having the same. The zoom lens includes a first lens group having a negative refractive power and a second lens group having a positive refractive power in an order from an object side to an image side, performs zooming by varying a distance between the first and second lens groups, and performs focusing by using a first lens closest to the object side in the second lens group.
US08045267B2

An optical element having a set of a plurality of three dimensional cells. Each cell with a specific amplitude and a specific phase are defined and which has optical characteristics such that when a predetermined incident light is provided to the individual cell, an emitted light, resulting from changing the amplitude and the phase of the incident light in accordance with the specific amplitude and the specific phase defined for the cell is obtained.
US08045265B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional image recording medium in which three-dimensional information of a recorded material is recorded precisely and observed more naturally. The linear images of plural parallel-projection images from different directions A to E divided into rectangles are recorded sequentially to divisional recording units of the linear image recording units M1 to M8 and in addition, the linear images of divided parallel-projection images from the same direction are recorded sequentially to each divisional recording unit arranged in the same position relative to a lens width direction of each lenticular lens unit L1 to L8 corresponding to each linear image recording unit M1 to M8 to thereby reproduce a three-dimensional image by combining the linear images of plural parallel-projection images.
US08045264B2

A collapsible projection backwall system utilizes a short throw projector and a collapsible framework to create a display usable in a small amount of space. The framework is specifically configured to support and appropriately position a flexible screen member so that distortion is avoided. This is particularly significant in situations where a relatively large screen is utilized, which creates the need to maintain appropriate tension upon the flexible screen member. The framework is specifically configured to be slightly canted when in its extended configuration to thereby introduce natural tension forces which will cooperate with the screen fabric to maintain the necessary configuration for the screen. This canted configuration is achieved by configuring a set of corner hinge assemblies and any central hinged assemblies to maintain this natural cant. By maintaining the desired forces on the display screen fabric a more efficient and functional display screen is created.
US08045262B2

The present invention relates to a laser scanning microscope that can generate an arbitrary control signal without depending on the configuration of the hardware. A memory 64 has a bit width wider than a bit width of drive data based on a drive table for generating a drive signal X for driving a scanner, which is driven by a drive circuit 66X, to scan a designated scanning area at a designated speed, and stores the drive table, and a controller 61 sets a control signal for controlling a predetermined operation in a predetermined mechanism that has a strict time relationship with the scanning based on the drive data, in bits in the bit width of the memory 64X, excluding the bits used by the drive data, and these mechanisms perform the predetermined operation based on the control signal that is read simultaneously when the drive data is read from the memory 64X. The present invention can be applied to a confocal laser scanning microscope that observes a sample by performing scanning with laser light.
US08045261B2

A Reflective Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (RSOA) for compensating for light loss in an optical link, an RSOA module for improving polarization dependency using the RSOA, and a Passive Optical Network (PON) for increasing economical efficiency and practical use of a bandwidth using the RSOA are provided. The PON includes a central office comprising a plurality of optic sources transmitting a downstream signal and a plurality of first receivers receiving an upstream signal; at least one optical network terminal (ONT) including a second receiver receiving the downstream signal and an RSOA which receives the downstream signal, remodulates the downstream signal into the upstream signal, and transmits the upstream signal in loopback mode; and a remote node interfacing the central office with the ONT. The upstream signal and the downstream signal are transmitted between the remote node and the ONT via a single optical fiber. The remote node includes an optical power splitter at its port connected to the ONT.
US08045258B2

A method for selecting a relation between a gain Gf of a Forward Raman Amplifier (FRA) at a transmitting end of a fiber optic transmission line and an optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) at a receiving end of the fiber optic transmission line satisfying limitations for real long transmission lines. The method comprises selecting the relation using a regulation function ROSNR obtained either in the form of a simplified equation, or in the form of one or more linear approximations of the function for practical ranges of the FRA gain.
US08045257B2

A nonlinear harmonic generation system is provided. The nonlinear harmonic generation system includes a waveguide channel receives and propagates electromagnetic signals. A resonant cavity is coupled to the waveguide channel. The resonant cavity structure includes a plurality of resonant modes into which electromagnetic energy is coupled during the operation of the system. One of the resonant modes includes a resonant frequency that changes during operation of the system to reach either an input-signal frequency or a harmonic frequency for a majority of the time in which harmonic generation is occurring. Both reflected and harmonic fields are emitted back into the waveguide channel so as to allow efficient harmonic generation at a specified critical input power.
US08045247B2

Scanning beam systems, apparatus and techniques in optical post-objective designs with two beam scanners for display and other applications.
US08045240B2

An imaging apparatus includes an image capturing system. A controller is communicatively coupled to the image capturing system. A scanner body has a scanner opening. The image capturing system is located adjacent the scanner opening. A document planar member is positioned across the scanner opening. The document planar member is communicatively coupled to the controller. The document planar member has a transparent state wherein the document planar member is clear and having a translucent state wherein the document planar member is translucent. The controller executes program instructions to control the document planar member to display scan operation related indicia formed by controlling a first portion of the document planar member to be in the transparent state and controlling a second portion of the document planar member to be in the translucent state.
US08045223B2

An image forming apparatus to carry out image forming on a recording medium by adding a specific pattern to image data inputted, having a mask creation section to create a mask area where addition of the specific pattern is prohibited and a control section to carry out image forming in a way that addition of the specific pattern is prohibited in the mask area.
US08045222B2

An image processing apparatus converts an input color signal into a color signal which falls within a color reproduction range of an image output device. The image processing apparatus includes a representative color setting unit that sets plural representative colors, a first hue setting unit that sets hue for an equi-hue line connecting the representative color and black, a hue correcting unit that corrects hue of the input color signal referring to the first hue setting unit, and a mapping unit that maps the input color signal after whose hue is corrected to a color signal within a color range of the image output device.
US08045216B2

A media storage apparatus includes a media storing body that stores recording media, a guide member slidably provided in the media storing body for guiding the recording media, a first positioning portion that positions the guide member at a predetermined position where the guide member guides regular-sized recording media, and a second positioning portion that positions the guide member at a position where the guide member guides irregular-sized recording media. The first positioning portion and the second positioning portion have different shapes.
US08045213B2

In a method for operating at least one machine with a computer, it is possible for at least one task for the production of a printed product to be stored in the computer, which task is processed on the machine. Parameters for setting the machine are stored as parameter sets in templates and relate to one or more production steps. For the purpose of job-specific adaptation, the settings in the templates must be modified. On account of settings which have not been tried and tested and not proven worthwhile, costs arise in terms of quality; in addition the settings can be made only by specialized personnel. To increase quality and to allow less qualified personnel to operate the machines, a parameter set based on rough entered data is compared with templates and that a most similar template be used to set the production step or steps.
US08045207B2

An image processing apparatus, in which an operator can register a workflow with an easy operation, the usage of a routine task function can thus be facilitated, and the work efficiency of the operator can be improved. A plurality of functions for an image processing are provided with the image processing apparatus capable of executing a process including a combination of the plurality of the functions as a workflow. An operation unit receives an operation by an operator for the image processing apparatus. A storing unit stores the operation, which is received by the operation unit, by the operator as an operation history. An extracting unit extracts operation information for causing the workflow to be executed from the operation history stored in the storing unit. A registering unit registers the operation information extracted by the extracting unit.
US08045202B2

An information processing apparatus, which can be connected to a print device which has a function of saving a print job and combining a plurality of saved print jobs, spools an accepted print job. The apparatus adds first identification information indicating a print job to be combined to the print job to be combined of a plurality of spooled print jobs. The apparatus transmits the print job added with the first identification information to the print device as a save job to be saved on the print device side. The apparatus designates the print device to combine save jobs added with the first identification information. By designating to print the combined save job according to the combining designation, an interrupt of another print job is prevented in print processing of a plurality of print jobs.
US08045198B2

A printer includes a file input section that receives an input PDF file that holds change history; a change history extraction section that extracts the change history from the input PDF file; and a print processing section that prints the extracted change history.
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